Welcome to the Club
by Relativity1953
Summary: the boys start a new assignment, set directly after Asylum, this was my first fanfic ever
1. the new assignment

**Author's Notes:**

This is a story that I actually wrote in 2004 (my first Supernatural, well fanfic, ever). I'm posting it here for two reasons. 1) I've got a bit of writer's block and two stories (a WIP and a little one-shot thing) that I am in the middle of and can't seem to get any further. And, 2) The WIP actually contains a character that I created in this story. Hopefully by posting this multi-chap piece, I will be inspired to finish my other two on-the-shelf projects. I appreciate any support you can give!

**A/N2**: this story takes place directly after Asylum (and then goes on into AU). Also, if you read 'Like Father, Like Son' – don't be confused. This story gives John a different past/family.

**Welcome to the Club**

_I've been living on the edge so long  
Where the winds of limbo roar  
And I'm young enough to look at  
And far too old to see  
All the scars are on the inside_

_ Veteran of the Psychic Wars, Blue Oyster Cult_

Sam was standing over his brother, watching him gasp in pain and shock. An evil smirk fell across Sam's face. Every bit of his brain was pulsing with loathing for Dean. Every moment of their childhood, of their hunts with Dad, of his happy college life ending with his loss of Jessica, and now his being pulled back to the life he tried to leave behind was playing in his angry mind. All of the feelings and memories mixing together to form one large ball of rage, and at the moment, Dean seemed to be the personification for it all. Something in his brain was telling him that, if he could just be rid of his brother once and for all, he would be happy.

That was the solution. And his brother had so obligingly given him a gun. Dean was telling him to shoot. But, of course he would. Dean always had to control everything, even his own destruction. That was the reason Sam paused. He wanted the hurting and ire gone, but he resented that his brother was still, even at the end, telling him what to do.

His brain was burning, urging him to kill. Telling him that it would all be over once Dean was dead. Dead Dean. It had a happy sort of ring to it, and who cared if Dean was still trying to take control. Sam would still have the last word, or shot, as it were. So, he pulled the trigger. Nothing. Slight confusion as he fired again, and again, and again, each time with the same result.

Sam looked at his brother's face and saw that Dean was still trying to take control. He gave Sam an empty gun. That was the point where all hell broke loose in Sam's already disturbed brain. He quickly flipped the gun in his hand so that he was holding the barrel and hit Dean across the temple with it. A weapon's a weapon, Sam thought. He hit Dean again and again and again.

Each blow brought satisfaction. Sam's brain was ringing with it. No, it wasn't his brain, it was a phone. Dean's phone.

Sam woke up slowly, but gratefully, at the sound of Dean's cell phone ringing on the nightstand. He called his brother's name, but neither the ring nor Sam's voice seemed to wake Dean. Sam sleepily reached for the phone and answered it. The voice on the other end made him sit up straight in the motel bed, exhausted no more.

"Dad?"

Even though the voice was broken and the line was full of static, Sam knew it was Dad. He could only pick out a few words before the line went dead. The number that came through had been unknown, but Sam still tried each of the cell numbers that Dad had ever had. Nothing.

Sam closed up the phone and placed it back on the nightstand. The whole episode hadn't really been loud, but Sam hadn't taken the time to be quiet about his actions. He looked over at his brother, taken aback that Dean was still asleep. Dean, the guy who would be fully awake at the sound of a small sigh, the guy who would be standing with knife in hand and ready to strike if Sam turned over too loudly in his sleep, looked as if he hadn't moved since falling into his bad last night. Or, truth be told, early this morning.

Dean had had enough energy to drive them both back to the motel, but had barely made it to his bed after a very quick remove-the-dirt, blood, and rock salt shower. As the old cliché goes, he was asleep before his head hit the pillow, and it had been Sam who took the time to pull the covers over him. Sam had never before tucked his brother into bed, it has always been the other way around. It took a small slice of his guilt away to think that he had been helpful. A very small slice. Really, a sliver.

The dark rainbow of bruising on Dean's chest hadn't been visible when they went to sleep. It's presence now brought back that sliver of Sam's guilt, and then some. There were also strange almost-scorchlike discolorations on the sides of Dean's face, at his temples, and just under his jaw that Sam didn't recognize until he got out of bed and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face. When he looked up into the mirror, he saw the same marks, only darker. He realized that the ghost of Dr. Ellicott the elder had tried to put the mind whammy on Dean, too. Only, apparently, Dean was able to fight him off. And destroy the guy in the process. More guilt.

Sam dressed slowly. Not so much to be quiet, but because his head still ached. While he was able to push back the anger and see it for what it really was, simple annoyances amplified by a crazy ghost doctor, the throbbing was still there.

And still, Dean slept. Sam started to worry. The concern only subsided somewhat at the sight of his brother's chest rising and falling, ever so slightly, to prove that Dean was actually breathing. Sam touched his shoulder softly and cautiously, ready to defend himself for a sudden attack.

"Dean?" he almost whispered. Nothing.

"Dean?" he said a little louder and gently nudged his shoulder. At this, Dean moved his head groggily and spoke, or kind of grunted a 'huh?' without opening his eyes.

"Dean, Dad called." The acid test. This actually got a bit more of a response.

"What'dhesay," Dean mumbled, still not opening his eyes, but moving his head a bit in an attempt to crack his neck.

"Not much," Sam told him, trying to keep the uneasiness from his voice, as he leaned back away from the bed. "The connection was bad and he cut out before he could give me much. All I got was a name. At least, I think it was a name."

In fact, all he really heard was Sam… help… cold… Martin. There was so much static and noise that he couldn't even be sure that was what was said. But, he had a feeling in his gut that Dad was telling him the name of someone who needed help, and that was what he was going on.

"Well," Dean mumbled, finally starting to wake up, "look it up."

Sam crossed the room to the small table where Dad's journal sat. He dropped into the chair and began flipping through the pages. Dean, eyes finally open, rolled onto his side and slowly sat up. Sam could tell that every movement was painful even if Dean was attempting his usual macho attitude and trying to keep the soreness at bay. Apparently, he stopped trying, because he put his head down into his hands.

"There any aspirin in the first aid kit?" he asked, without looking up at Sam. Sam, in answer, quickly got up and got the bottle of pills, filled a glass with water, and handed both to Dean. Dean gingerly reached out for the bottle, opened it, and poured a few pills into his mouth. Sam didn't see how many, and he was sure that that was Dean's intention.

"Thanks," Dean said after taking the water and swallowing down the pills. When he finally looked up at Sam, he looked weary and weak, something Sam was not really ready to see but he still smiled feebly and took the pills and glass back. Dean started to stand and Sam, realizing that he wasn't going to make it on his own, reached out his hand to help.

"Thanks," Dean said again, this time with a little more defeat in his voice. "I'm gonna get a shower. Can you look up that name?" When Sam nodded, Dean slowly and stiffly made his way to the bathroom. Sam waited until he heard the water start and then sat back down and began looking in Dad's journal again.

By the time Dean came out of the bathroom, looking more awake and a bit stronger, Sam had Dad's journal open to a page with a name and address on it. Sam, however, was across the room, trying to clean up the place a bit and packing up their gear. He had made coffee and had a steaming mug sitting waiting for Dean near the journal.

Dean smiled slightly to himself as he sat down at the table and took the coffee. Two sugars and no cream, just the way he took it. He also saw that Sam had put out clothes for him on his bed.

"I think I found the name," Sam told him and nodded toward the journal. "I'm going to take this stuff out to the car, okay?"

"Yeah," Dean said quietly and with a smile. Sam gave a little smile back and was out the door. Dean got dressed, took another sip of coffee, and looked at the name in the journal. The entry was two-toned. The name 'Kole Marten' and an address were scrawled in Dad's almost unintelligible handwriting in black ink. Then, the address had been crossed out, a new one written in, and the word 'Professor' written in front of the name in blue ink. Dean searched his memory for the name without luck. Marten almost sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Well, what do you think?" Sam asked when he came back in.

"I think we should go and meet this guy."


	2. on the road again

**Welcome to the Club**

_Fantasy it fills my mind  
To leave this place before my time  
Release myself from earthly care  
My dream may be your nightmare_

_ Take Me Away, Blue Oyster Cult_

They were out the motel door within 15 minutes. Dean made his way to the passenger side of the Impala, and Sam took the hint to drive.

"So," Dean began after about an hour of driving in silence, "do you remember this Professor Marten?"

"It doesn't seem familiar," Sam told him. "Why, do you know him?"

"I'm not sure. If I met him, it was a long time ago," he said, yawning through the word 'ago'. He was starting to feel sleepy again and, as he tried to blink away the haze from his eyes, was glad Sam was driving. "I've been trying to put a face to the name but I can't."

Dean was usually quite adept at remembering both names and faces. The fact that the memory of Kole Marten was eluding him told Sam that it had probably been too many years between visits or even mentions of the name. Still, he began searching his earliest memories but was coming up blank.

He was about to speak again, but noticed with a quick glance that Dean had fallen asleep in his seat. While this was a usual habit with Sam, Dean almost never fell asleep in the car. And, never ever during the day.

When a couple of cruisers with sirens blaring passed them going the other direction and failed to get much of a response from his brother, Sam took the opportunity to turn on the radio and find a non-Dean station. After all, how many chances would he have to listen to his own style of music? He found a station and looked over at Dean. Still sound asleep. Sam relaxed and tried to concentrate on the road, the map, Professor Marten. Anything other than shooting his brother.

……….

It was dark and he was in pain. Dean felt as if he had just done battle with a bull and lost badly. He opened his eyes and didn't feel any better. Walking towards him was Sam with a satisfied smile and his gun still pointing at Dean's chest.

He had done it. Sam had actually shot him. Yes, it had only been with rock salt, but the fact that Sam was still able to shoot him made him hurt in a completely different way.

Sam was sneering at him and saying something, but Dean couldn't hear it. His head was pulsing with the overload of sorrow and soreness. All he could think to do was bluff his brother until he could find out what was going on. He had taken the bullets out of one of his own guns, but had hoped he wouldn't need the con. It was a last resort, but he could think of nothing else to do, as he lay there at his brother's feet, unable to move. Before he knew it, he had offered Sam the gun with 'real' bullets and told him to go ahead and end it. Shoot him and be done with it.

But Sam was too smart and saw through the ruse. He threw down his empty rifle and reached behind his back. He pulled out another gun, a gun Dean didn't realize he had. Panic had very little time to enter Dean's mind as Sam pointed it at Dean's chest and fired.

The pain spread like fire through his chest and into the rest of his body. For a moment, he thought he heard laughing and looked up to see someone standing in the shadows. It was the spirit of Dr. Ellicott with a proud look in his eyes and a cackle of a laugh coming from his lips. But, the mad doctor slowly vanished and Dean realized that the laugh was now Sam's.

He looked up again at his brother to find Sam aiming the gun once more at his chest. Though Dean was not dying, he felt his body being torn apart from the inside as Sam shot again and again. Dean's immobile body was being electrocuted with the shocks stemming from his middle.

He couldn't take it, but he couldn't stop it. And Sam, simply smiled at him and took aim between Dean's eyes. Dean didn't hear the gun over the sounds of waves crashing through his head, but he knew it had happened. He could taste the blood and ash in his mouth. He could smell the gunpowder in the room and the flesh, his flesh, being burned. But still, he would not die.

He opened his eyes once more and, in spite of everything, could see Sam clearly. He felt his lungs cave in and couldn't take a breath. But Sam kept shooting, a never-ending supply of bullets in his gun. Each new shot worse than the last…

"Dean! Dean!" Sam shouted at his brother, trying to wake him from a nightmare that was causing him to hyperventilate.

Dean's eyes opened wide to see his brother hovering over him. Still disorientated, he panicked and pulled away only to have his seatbelt tighten and send a whole new jolt of pain through his body. The tightness in his chest caused him to choke on his breath.

"Dean?" Sam said anxiously as he leaned over to unlock his brother's seatbelt to give him room to breath.

It took Dean a few moments to realize he was not lying on the cold, hard floor of the asylum. He was in his car; he was safe. But, he was still sweating and shivering at the same time.

"All right," Sam said as he pulled the Impala back onto the road from the shoulder where he had stopped. "I think we should stop to stretch and eat. There's a burger place just ahead." In fact, they could see it from where Sam had pulled over, but he hadn't wanted to take the extra minute or two to keep driving. "I think we could both use some fresh air."

By the time Sam pulled into a spot, Dean's breathing was back under control and he had stopped shaking, but he still looked quite pale. Sam turned off the engine, but neither of them moved or looked at each other.

"You OK?" Sam asked hesitantly, not really sure if we wanted to hear the answer.

Dean took one more long, calming breath before he spoke.

"Yeah," he said with a sideways Dean-like smile and then looked at Sam. "That damn haunted plane ride… I told you I wouldn't forget it any time soon." He opened his door and eased himself out, trying to look sleepy rather than sore. "I'll meet you at the table. I gotta hit the bathroom." He gave another crooked grin, closed the door, and slowly walked into the restaurant.

Sam took a deep breath of his own, visibly shaken by being the one on this side of the nightmare. He knew Dean was lying about the dream. He was sure he heard a few very mumbled but pleading "Sammy no"s and "please don't"s before he was able to wake his brother. But clearly Dean was not yet ready to talk about it.


	3. Woodcreek College

**Welcome to the Club**

_And the poison's in my heart and in my mind…_

… _Is it any wonder that my mind's on fire  
Imprisoned by the thoughts of what to do_

_ Flaming Telepaths, Blue Oyster Cult_

Dean came out of the surprisingly tidy bathroom and found his brother at a secluded corner booth. Sam had gotten a couple burgers, some French fries, and two sodas. He had already eaten half of his burger, for some reason hungrier than usual.

"So," Dean said as he sat down and absent-mindedly began salting his fries, "how far are we?"

"We've only got another hour or so," he told his brother between mouthfuls. "Luckily, this college is not too far. You know, I've never even heard of it."

"Does that mean it's not a good school?" Dean asked, genuinely wondering and not just giving his brother a hard time.

"No, just that it is probably pretty small." Sam had secretly wished Dean would start taunting him again, or call him 'Sammy', or do anything Dean-like. Dean wasn't even eating his food. He had taken a couple sips of soda, but that was it.

"You mind if I drive?" Dean asked unexpectedly. When Sam looked up from taking his last bite of burger with a face full of disbelief, Dean looked down as he explained. "I just think it would wake me up. I mean, if I'm tired when we get to the college and talk to this guy…"

"Dean," Sam interrupted, "I know you're not one to talk things out, but I really think we should discuss what happened." But even Sam had mixed feelings about how that conversation could go.

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. He gave one of his trademark mischievous grins as he got up from his seat.

"Sam, you know me too well to know that I don't do the chick-flick moments." And with a quick wink, Dean grabbed the keys from the table and walked toward the restaurant door to leave.

Well, Sam thought, at least he's getting some of his attitude back. But he looked down at Dean's food and saw that his brother only drank half his soda and eat a couple fries at the most. With a sigh, Sam rose and followed Dean to the Impala.

The next hour was nearly silent, apart from the radio that was still playing the station Sam found. Dean hadn't tried to change the station or volume, or pop in one of his cassettes. Sam wasn't sure he even noticed the music at all until a classic rock song came on and Dean began slightly drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel to the beat.

"Hey," Dean said, "is that it?" Sam looked up to see a sign stating that Woodcreek College was only ten miles away.

"Yeah. Wow, that took less time than I thought."

"That's because I don't drive like an old lady," Dean said with a smile, then thought better of teasing his little brother again. "But I do appreciate you taking the first shift."

"Thanks," Sam said quietly, feeling ill at ease all over again.

Luckily there were plenty of street signs and informational markers to let them know how to get through the tiny college town because Sam could not find it on his map. He looked in Dad's journal again.

"Should we try his home or office first?" Sam asked.

"You tell me," Dean said. "You're the one with the college experience." Then quickly added, "I mean, you probably know the schedules better than I do."

"Well, it's a little before 2:00, so it's a toss-up schedule-wise where he'd be. Wait! Turn left here!" Sam said with a little more eagerness in his voice than intended. "Sorry, this is the road… where his home..." his voice trailing off.

The house looked like a small cabin. Very small. Apparently, the professor lived alone, as the house looked to only have a few different rooms in it. There definitely couldn't be more than one bedroom.

"Well, the curtains are open and I don't see anyone moving around inside…" Sam's voice faded out.

"No garage," Dean said, "and I don't see a car." He turned to look at his brother. "Off to the college?"

"Off to the college," Sam agreed.

The term 'quad' had been taken quite literally when the school was built. There were only four rectangular building that surrounded a perfectly square courtyard.

"I have never seen a college this small," Sam said, not specifically to Dean, but just aloud. "Well, his office is in the South Hall. Room 13."

Dean gave a small nod, but had an amused look on his face.

"I know, I know," Sam kind of laughed as they walked toward the South Hall.

"Well, here it is," Dean said when they found room 13. He knocked on the door but there was no response. He was about to knock again when a voice came from behind them.

The young lady that was standing there was quite stunning and both of the boys noticed. She was tall, thin, and had light coco skin and bright ice blue eyes. She was wearing a light peach soft looking short sleeve sweater, a black pencil skirt, and simple black heels.

"Um," the co-ed smiled as she said, "I'm sure Professor Marten has already left for class. It starts at 2:30." She looked down at her watch. "That's in like 10 minutes."

"Oh, uh…" Dean began to stammer.

"Are you here to audit the class?" she asked.

"Huh?" Dean asked, already feeling quite out of place.

"Oh, don't worry," she smiled, "with the nature of the classes, well, Professor Marten likes when people audit before jumping in and getting more than they bargained for. I'm actually headed for the class if you wanted to follow me there. I'm the TA… well, when-needed."

"T A," Sam emphasized to Dean quietly, having seen the look on his brother's face, "it means teaching assistant." Dean's face fell a little, but he still grinned to himself.

"And, what's your name?" Dean asked her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said and stopped to face them. "I'm Janie. Jane. Sorry. Jane Pryce." She reached out and shook both of their hands. "I'm trying to sound more professional," she told them with a smile.

"Jane," Sam asked, "are we underdressed for this school?"

"What? Oh, no! Everyone here, including the professors, wear comfortable clothes. It's just that I have an interview right after class and I don't have time to go home between to change. I wish I had thought enough ahead to bring extra shoes though. These heels are killing me!"

"So, what sort of classes does the professor teach?" Dean asked her.

"Oh, all kinds of interesting things. Comparative religions and belief systems… this next one is about different cultures and their beliefs in the supernatural. Oh, but I guess you already know that." She smiled to herself, not seeing that the boys looked at one another with meaningful expressions. "Here we are."

Jane had led them to a room larger than what Sam would have expected. It was like a small auditorium in the basement of the North Hall with three overhead projectors at the ready.

"So," Dean asked as she led them to seats near the front of the room, "what's Professor Marten like?"

"Very smart, very nice… I mean, I think she's great."


	4. Kole Marten

**Welcome to the Club**

_Things are not always what they seem  
She will always say what she means  
You'll never know who your friends really are_

_ Don't Turn Your Back, Blue Oyster Cult_

"She?" Dean asked, but only Sam heard him.

"Oh, there she is," Jane said, sitting up straighter at her desk and looking studiously forward. Neither one of them saw where Jane indicated the professor's arrival had come from. Dean and Sam looked around at the entrances to the room. There were three in all, the one they had just come through from the basement and two from the first floor of the North Hall that were at the back of the classroom. They tried to locate the professor among the incoming students, but saw no one who fit the bill.

"You're sitting in on a good day," Jane whispered as she leaned across Sam's desk to talk to both of the boys. "The students are having presentations right now. Professor Marten lectures on different folklore and mythological beasts and such, and then the students each pick one for further study. Each student gives a presentation and then the final covers both the professor's lectures and the extra information from the students' presentations."

"The students give presentations?" Sam asked Jane to show he was paying attention.

"Yes. You see, the professor will give pretty detailed lectures, but she'll always leave out bits of information for the students to find and present to the class. The presentation, along with some quizzes and a final, determine the students' grades," Jane told him just as a bell began to ring.

"All right, please take your seats," said a young woman from the front of the room, "that was the bell, people." The students began to quiet down and take out notebooks and pens.

"Is that another TA?" Sam asked Jane. She looked at him like she was waiting for a punchline.

"No," she said with a small laugh when it didn't come, "that's Professor Marten."

Dean and Sam looked as one to the front of the large classroom. The professor was a young woman, no older than Dean if he had to guess. She was 5'4" if she was lucky, but what she had lacked in height, she gained in physique. Professor Marten had the sort of hourglass figure that all women wanted, but didn't seem to notice she had. While most women would have worn something low cut, she wore a turtleneck sweater of deep green that accentuated the red in her pony-tailed dark auburn hair. As Jane had stated earlier, the professor wore jeans and some brown slip-on loafers. Her eyes were dark and hypnotic behind her small rectangular wire-rimmed glasses.

"OK," Professor Marten said, looking down at her notes. "Today we have Marcus," a quick look and a smile to a student not far from the front of the room, "and he will be telling us all about the Manticore."

When no one in the room moved, Jane began to tentatively clap her hands and glance around. Many of the students followed her lead, but Marcus sat still and smirked at his teacher, slightly shaking his head.

"Mr. David," the professor said after the uncomfortable applause died down, "we're waiting." She smiled and added, "Don't be shy." She gestured to him to come to the from of the class, "You're presentation please."

Marcus David, no more than a junior, Sam thought, sat quite still and continued to sneer at his teacher.

"This is so stupid," he said simply, looking around as he snickered, hoping to find some support. "There's no such thing as mandicorts."

"Oh dear," Jane whispered anxiously.

Dean shook his head and tried not to laugh at Marcus. The rest of the class gasped at his insolence. Sam studied the professor and tried to figure out why Kole Marten seemed so familiar. But the professor, she just grinned at her student.

"Mr. David," she smiled with her lips but not her eyes, "I don't suppose that you still have a copy of the syllabus that I handed out at the beginning of class?"

If they hadn't been already, all eyes shifted to Marcus, and his sneer began faltering under the weight. Everyone looked at him quizzically, except for the professor, whose smile was still plastered on her lips. Without waiting for him to answer, she smacked a copy of the syllabus on the middle of the three overhead projectors.

"I lecture on the supernatural," Professor Marten began, smile on her lips and nowhere else, "you take notes. You pick one, and only one, being to focus your presentation on. I have not, nor have I ever asked for you to believe in these beings. That is not the point. The point is for you to research the beliefs of another culture and to report on it. Your fellow students' grades may just depend upon your report. Up until today, no one has had any problems with this…"

The entire class, excluding Marcus and Dean, seemed to look around awkwardly.

"So, this doesn't happen a lot, does it?" Sam whispered to Jane.

"Never," she uneasily whispered back.

"Well," Professor Marten began when it was quite apparent that Marcus had not completed his assignment, "I guess the class can thank you, Mr. David, for allowing us to finish the period early. Of course," she said as if it had been an afterthought, "they'll also be able to thank you during the final when they don't know any of the answers that you were to provide for them." Marcus shifted uneasily in his seat.

"Dad…?" Sam said to himself, suddenly realizing who the professor reminded him of. She had the same crooked grin that Dean and their dad shared and the same unyielding, no-nonsense manner that John Winchester was famous for. From what Jane had said of the professor earlier and what he was seeing now, Sam could tell that Kole Marten was firm but fair and did not hesitate to show her hardhearted side when needed.

"So, I guess you're all free to go… unless someone can help Mr. David, and the rest of his classmates, out of an unfortunate situation…"

Everyone looked around, pleading for someone to have some answers. Dean looked around as well, only for a different reason. He raised his hand with apprehension.

"Yes," the professor said, catching sight of Dean, "Mr… um…" she looked to Jane for assistance, but Jane shrugged, unable to give her the answer.

"Winchester," Dean said strongly. "Dean Winchester."

For a moment, Professor Marten locked eyes with Dean and a hint of recognition seemed to illuminate her face. She glanced at Sam and the same expression appeared. She gave a slight grin that didn't explain anything to Dean or Sam.

"Winchester?" the professor said, almost lost in thought, but then repeated, "Mr. Winchester? Are you auditing this class?"

Dean turned to Sam and Jane, both nodded hastily.

"Yeah," Dean told her with a nod, "but I know all about Manticores." The professor smiled again, but with more warmth.

"Really?" she asked. Dean nodded shyly. "Well, I have to say that you would be the first sit-in I've had that would participate in class. But, if you would like to tell the class about Manticores, then I am sure some of them would… really appreciate… it." She gestured for Dean to stand.

"Well," he fumbled as he stood up and faced the class, "the Manticore is said to inhabit the jungles of India…" he began. Professor Marten gave him an approving grin and a nod that seemed to give Dean more strength. He continued his speech, every so often looking for Professor Marten's smile, which she gave him readily. Slowly, the students became engrossed in the subject and began taking notes as Dean spoke.

As Sam listened to his brother give the class a very detailed lesson about the Maticore, he felt a little guilty. Had there been classes of interest for him, Dean could have done very well in college.

When Dean was finished, there was only a small pause before Professor Marten began the applause. Dean gave a shy smile as he took his seat once again.

"Oh, I'm afraid you don't get out that easily Mr. Winchester," the professor said. At Dean's look of bewilderment, she grinned and looked up at the rest of the class, "Q and A?"

Everyone looked around, but no one spoke up. Professor Marten sighed, yet still smiled.

"If anyone happened to miss the color of the Manticore's eyes or how many rows of teeth it has in each jaw, you may feel inclined to ask Mr. Winchester… now…" she said with a slightly weary tone. Nearly every hand in the class rose.

"The Manticore has blue eyes," Dean said with a bashful half smile, "and three rows of teeth in each jaw." After a few more questions, the class was dismissed and filed from the room abuzz with conversation. The students, with the exception of a glowering Marcus David, appeared to be captivated by Dean. And, nearly all of the female students made sure to give him a final smile before leaving.

"Let me introduce you to the professor," Jane said when they were the last four people in the room. She led the way to where Professor Marten was gathering her up her belongings.

"Jane," the professor began when she looked up to see the three of them nearing, "lucky for you the class didn't go any longer. Do you realize that its almost 2:45?"

"Oh no!" Jane said with worry, "My interview is at 3:00!"

"Well, be careful getting there. The roads are still slick from the snow. And good luck," the professor smiled, "you deserve this. Just be yourself and you'll do great."

"Thanks," Jane called over her shoulder as she walked as quickly as her heels would allow.

Dean and Sam watched her go, unsure how to begin without Jane's introduction. They turned back to see Professor Marten looking at them with amusement. Now that they were closer, Sam could see why her eyes had seemed so mesmerizing. They were actually dark green and had deep brown flecks in them.

"So," she started, looking from one to the other as she spoke, "Dean and Sam Winchester."


	5. brothers

OK y'all... now you see? I'm from Ohio - which is not far enough south to say or write"y'all". Here's the thing. I am a very needy person. I need reviews! Reviews are my life's blood - and right now I am dying from the lack. I happen to love reviews (good or bad - as long as you comment). I love them and pet them and call them George.

So, please. I am desperate! I checked out my stats. People have not only read this story but have put it on alert (or whatever). Just, something... anything... please (with big Sammy-puppy-dog-eyes)! Thank you.

* * *

**Welcome to the Club**

_Burn out the day- Burn out the night  
I can't see no reason to put up a fight  
I'm living for giving the devil his due  
And I'm burning, I'm burning, I'm burning for you_

_Burnin' for You, Blue Oyster Cult_

Their obvious confusion seemed to amuse her and she gave them an even wider, but still crooked, grin.

"How did you…?" was all Sam was able to ask.

"Well," she laughed, "who else would you be?" When the Winchesters were still silently baffled, she continued. "OK, now I'm a little hurt. I guess I don't expect you to remember me Sam. After all, you were only three. But Dean, you were seven. I was six and I remember the two of you. Of course, it helps that your father has sent me updated pictures of you both."

That got a reaction.

"Our dad?" Dean asked. She nodded at him.

"Have you seen him lately?" Sam pleaded quickly.

"No, I…" she looked from on to the other again, taken aback by their sudden concern. "I haven't seen him in years. He would write or call, but not regularly. And, I haven't heard from him in awhile. Why don't we talk in my office?" she said, glancing up at the students who were beginning to enter the room for the next class.

"Professor Marten," Sam began as they entered her office. Like her home, the professor's office was small. She had a desk that was only a little larger than the laptop resting on it. There was a mini-fridge in the corner and a coffee maker that was just finishing a fresh brew. On the opposite wall was a small sofa with a filing cabinet doubling as an end table. She also had a number of wall-mounted shelves surrounding the room.

"Call me Kole, please," she said as she closed the door.

"Good," Dean said, giving her one of his most charming grins, "I think I would have a problem calling someone younger than me 'Professor'." Sam rolled his eyes but then had to suppress a smile when all Dean got for his effort was an arched eyebrow.

"Kole," Sam began again, "do mind if I ask why our dad kept in contact with you?"

"I guess you guys really don't remember me," she sighed. "Well, I suppose that's understandable. We only saw each other once, but I'll never forget it. I don't think I had ever seen my father so angry or upset."

"Your dad?" Dean asked and nodded as she offered him some coffee.

"Yes. Well, technically, my step-father, but he was my only father… all my life… He was mad at your father for never telling him how your mother had died. I guess they hadn't spoken for a year or two. They had just kind of lost touch, each of them starting his own family. And, we lived half the country away. But, my father flew in for your mother's funeral and stayed for about a week to try and help your dad cope… with the loss… and find a new home…"

"I think I remember that," Dean said, clearly trying to pull more of the memory from the back of his brain. Kole gave him a gentle smile and continued.

"Well, when my father got back, I know he tried to keep in touch with you guys, but I guess your dad didn't really respond. They lost touch again for a few years. Then, my mother was killed."

"I'm sorry," Sam told her sympathetically. He wanted to ask how, but it didn't feel right.

"How did she die?" Apparently Dean didn't have the same trouble.

"I'm not sure," Kole told them. "I mean, I was there… in the room. I saw the whole thing happen, but I can't really piece it together. I remember the fire, but…" she glanced at the ceiling for a moment, but then narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "It just doesn't make any sense."

Dean and Sam gave each other meaningful looks. They both knew why she felt this way, as they were sure they had both seen the same thing happen.

"Anyway, you guys all came to our house… well, our new house, since the other burned to the ground. Your dad kept wanting to talk to me about what had happened and what I saw. I remember my father getting agitated about it and wanted to talk to your dad alone. So, they sat us at the dining room table. We were all coloring," she smiled at the recollection. "But then I heard them in the kitchen. Well, no, I heard _my_ father. He was yelling at your dad, asking why he never told him about the way your mother died. It was like he was blaming your dad, but I don't know why. I just know that I had never seen him like that before.

"After that," she continued, "my father never spoke to or about him again. And, I didn't see your father again until ten years later. It was just after I graduated. I didn't have a party because I was only 16 and finished high school in November. But I remember my father and I had just gotten home from a celebratory dinner. He went up to his room to change his clothes, since he had spilled some of his ravioli in his lap," she laughed a little, but then went completely silent and stared at nothing in particular.

"Kole?" Sam asked quietly when she didn't begin speaking. She shook her heard again.

"I remember smelling the smoke…" she said quietly, then looked up at them both and smiled weakly. "I smelled something burning and then the smoke detector began to go off. I ran upstairs to find my father… but by the time I got there it was too late.

"The next thing I knew, _your_ father was behind me, pulling me out of the room. I think he had to lift me up to get down the stairs and out the door, which he had apparently broken down to get in.

"He stayed with me while the fire was put out and through all of the questions. He even invited me to come and live with you all, but I told him that I had plans to start college at the beginning of the year, that I had a scholarship and it was all taken care of. So, he found a place for me to stay during the interim and checked in on me from time to time."

Neither Dean nor Sam could believe that their father, the man that they were having trouble locating, had been so generous and kind… and fatherly.

"Why?" Dean sputtered. When Kole looked at him questioningly, he went on. "I mean, why would our dad do all of that?"

"Well, because he had just lost his brother and was trying to help out, I suppose. Maybe he felt guilty…" she began.

"His brother?" Sam interrupted her. "Are you trying to tell me that your dad and my dad…"

"Were brothers," she said, "yes."


	6. new family

**Welcome to the Club**

_A rock through a window never comes with a kiss.  
Rhyme and a reason never argue with a fist.  
There's a time for discussion and a time for a fight.  
It's the time in the season for a maniac at night._

_ Method to the Madness, Blue Oyster Cult_

Sam looked at Dean in disbelief. Dean was looking down and trying to remember something that just wasn't in his brain to recall. Kole was the one who spoke.

"Are you really telling me that you didn't know you had an uncle?" When they both looked at her and shook their heads, she said, "Wow. I mean, I knew they hadn't been close for a long time, but… wow."

A knock at the door made them all jump. Kole excused herself to speak with a colleague.

"What are you thinking?" Sam asked his brother. Did Dean feel the same way about having family that he never knew existed?

"I think we got no job here," Dean said. It took Sam a moment to comprehend the statement.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well," Dean said, confusion still painting his face, "I'm not saying that I regret stopping here and meeting our… oh geez, she's our cousin! I was looking at her like…" he shuddered. "Anyway, just add it to the list of things to ask Dad about when we find him. The way I see it, we can head out anytime."

Sam was going to argue, but Kole came back into the office.

"Sorry about that guys," she told them. "I actually have another class that I need to get to. Feel free to rummage through the cabinets and fridge if you're hungry. You can use the laptop to check e-mail or whatever. How long are you guys in town?"

"We're heading out tonight," Dean said before Sam could respond. "We don't have a room anywhere, so…"

"Oh," Kole said, trying not to show her dejection. "Well, why don't you stop by my place for dinner? You might as well have a decent meal before you leave. I can't promise that I'm a decent cook, but I know all the best carry-outs around," she smiled. Then, grabbing a pen and paper she said, "Here, let me give you my address."

"Oh, that's all right," Sam told her, "we've already got it."

"Really? How did you know to look for me at the school, then?"

"Actually," Dean said, "we stopped by your house first but there was no car in the driveway…"

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you didn't know that I don't own a car, then."

"You don't own a car?" Dean asked incredulously. "How do you get around?"

"I walk," she laughed and nodded to a pair of hiking boots and a winter coat. "I have a meeting after my class, so see you guys around 6:00ish?" When they nodded, Kole smiled and waved good-bye.

"So," Dean said, standing up from the sofa, "what are we going to do for the next couple of hours? This is a small college town. It's not exactly my area of expertise."

Sam wasn't really listening. He was looking around at the books in Kole's office. Sure, she had all the standard folklore, religious, and mythological texts, but they all seemed rather general. Something didn't seem right, but Sam couldn't put his finger on what or why.

"Hmm, Kole is really into the classics," Dean said, indicating a small leather-bound travel case of DVD-Rs. "Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man… And these are all from the 30s and 40s."

Sam looked up to see Dean holding the case open to a disk that had 'The Mummy, 1932, Boris Karloff' written on it in none-too-loopy handwriting. He looked around the office again, studying it a little closer. There were no photos, no knickknacks, no personal touches of any kind. The old horror movies were the only insights they had into their cousin's life.

But, Sam reminded himself, this is only an office.

"I'm starting to get claustrophobic in here," Dean told him. "Let's get some fresh air."

They left the office, the building, the quad. Since the town was so small, Sam suggested that they forego the Impala and just walk. Neither one of them could believe the Norman Rockwell world they were walking into.

Sam smiled to himself, thinking how quaint this little area of the world was. From the corner movie house playing classic matinees to the housewife he saw holding a measuring cup and knocking bashfully at her neighbor's door. Was she really borrowing a cup of sugar? That was something that Sam thought only happened in old black and white television shows. The entire area gave him a warm, tranquil feeling.

Dean, on the other hand, shuddered. He had thought that nothing could be creepier than suburbia, but he was walking through a new level of hell that went by the name 'Small Town, USA.' How could a person live like this? A place where everyone knows everyone else and no one locks their doors? And he swore he saw some middle-aged oddity just wander over to her neighbor's home with a measuring cup in her hand. These people were fools who had no idea how vulnerable they were to any evil being looking for a free buffet.

When Dean could take no more, he suggested they return to the car and head over to Kole's. It was a little early yet, only 5:20, but she had said 6:00_ish_. And, it was already starting to get dark.

As they pulled into the driveway, they saw her trudging through the frozen grass towards the back of the house. There was a clear view of the college through the winter, leafless trees.

"I hope we're not too early," Sam told her as they met at the front door.

Dean was a bit more than relieved when he saw Kole take a key from her pocket to let them in. He was glad to see that living in this too-sugar-coated town hadn't robbed her of her Winchester senses.

"No, you're fine," she told them with a smile that seemed a little forced as she took their coats, "my meeting ran a little longer than expected." The emphasis she used made Sam look over at his brother, but Kole noticed and quickly amended. "It was nothing serious. I think some of the questions and drama had less to do with my performance and more to do with my disallowing the dean's nephew get away with not doing his work."

"What," Dean asked, "that David kid?"

"Yeah," she rolled her eyes, "Professor David is the dean at Woodcreek."

But, that was all she would say on the matter, or about the college itself. She told them to make themselves comfortable while she attempted to fix something for dinner. It gave the boys a chance to look around.

Sam noticed, much to his irritation, that Kole's home was almost as impersonable as her office had been. There was a bedroom, which neither of the boys went into out of respect, but could see through the open door, a bathroom, a living room that moved directly into a dining room, and a small kitchen. There were no photos of friends or family, or even artwork of any kind. There was no television or stereo, but there was a laptop computer that matched the one in Kole's office.

The only personal touch seemed to be contained on the large bookcase that took up an entire wall of the living room. There were few books on it; mostly it held notebooks and binders. And, Sam spotted, there was a short row of DVD-Rs. When he went in for a closer look at the individual jewel cases, he saw that the movies matched the collection in Kole's office.

"What would you guys say to some makeshift tuna casserole?"

"What makes it 'makeshift'?" Dean asked, giving Sam an apprehensive eyebrow raise.

"Well," she said, leaning through the kitchen doorway to smile at them, "the fact that it's not from scratch, I guess. My tuna casserole consists of a box of mac-n-cheese, a can of tuna, and some frozen broccoli. The good news is that it only takes about 20 minutes to make. And, just for you, I'll add some extra cheddar."

To tell the truth, it was probably the closest thing to a homemade dinner that Dean had had in years. The third helping he took answered any questions of whether he was just being polite or if he actually liked the meal. The conversation was light and friendly. Well, as light as a full description of an exorcism or a detailed account of a demonic insect infestation could be.

Sam wasn't sure how much of their stories Kole believed, but she listened to each of them eagerly and he was impressed that she wasn't disgusted, even when they told her about the skin-shedding shape-shifter.

"Wow," Dean said, as he glanced out of the living room's large window, "it's really gotten dark. We should probably head out."

They said their 'good-bye's and their 'happy to finally have met you's, exchanged cell phone numbers, and were on their way. After driving only 30 minutes or so, Dean's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Sam answered.

"Sam? I don't suppose you're still in town, are you?" Something in Kole's voice made him sit up straighter and worry.

"No, we're not. Kole, are you OK?" he asked, and even as he spoke, he felt Dean take his foot off the gas and look at him.

"No, I think I'm in trouble. I…"

"Kole? Kole!" but Sam knew yelling into the phone wasn't going to help.

"What?" Dean said as he twisted the wheel and the car was suddenly facing the opposite direction. "What happened? What'd she say?"

"I don't know," Sam told him. "She said she was in trouble… then… breaking glass… and the line went dead."

Dean pushed the gas pedal down further.


	7. back to Kole's

**Welcome to the Club**

_I have this feeling that my luck is none too good  
This sword here at my side don't act the way it should  
Keeps calling me it's master, but I feel like it's slave  
Hauling me faster and faster to an early, early grave._

_ Black Blade, Blue Oyster Cult_

Dean had driven for 30 minutes when his cell phone rang. He was going to make sure that it didn't take them another 30 minutes to get back to Kole's. His foot was getting heavier and heavier on the gas pedal.

"Dean," Sam said, knuckles turning whiter at the same rate that Dean's foot got heavier, "I'm all for getting back as quick as possible, but we need to get there in one piece." Dean's eyes never left the road, but his lips got tighter. "Just… remember that the roads are slick."

The return trip was taking only half the time. When they pulled off the state route, Dean slowed a bit. The back roads are never as clear as the main, and he knew that the temperature outside had only gotten colder so there was no chance of the slush melting.

"So," Sam said after taking a deep breath, "what's the plan? We don't know what's going on. How can we be ready when we don't know what we're up against?"

"Right now," Dean told him, eyes scanning the whole of his surroundings, "I'm more worried about not giving anyone the head's up that we're coming. You know how quiet it was at Kole's. How are we going to sneak up in the car through slush? And the grass is frozen…"

But Dean stopped mid-sentence and they both heard it. Music. Incredibly loud music that seemed to be coming from Kole's house.

"I don't think sneaking up will be a problem," Sam said, baffled. Dean pulled the Impala to the curb in front of the house and they both got out, shutting the doors lightly even though the music was so loud that they could have slammed the doors and no one would have noticed. The large front window was shattered with only a stray jagged edge here and there.

The music was coming from the back of the house, as well as a strange orange light that Dean and Sam were all too familiar with. Fire.

As they crept around the house, they saw students, about 100 if they had to guess, in the yard. They were singing along to the music and dancing as if they were at a party. In fact, with the bonfire and the alcohol, there was no doubt that this was a party.

Instantly, Sam figured out who the hosts of the party were. While everyone seemed to be wearing homemade pentagrams or upside-down crosses or other such symbols, there were half dozen male students that were dressed all in black with red tape on their backs that looked a bit like the letter 'Z'.

Pointing the 'Z's out to Dean, Sam started walking toward a familiar face.

"Marcus," Sam called to him. The kid turned around and almost tripped over his own feet, clearly drunk.

"Hey man," Marcus slurred, "awesome party, huh?"

"Yeah," Sam said with sarcasm that Marcus was too inebriated to notice, "what's it for?"

"Oh," Marcus hiccupped and almost fell again, this time knocking into the girl he had been dancing with, "you know. We're just havin' some fun, blowin' off steam. Pretty cool, yeah?"

After almost being knocked over, the girl with Marcus made her drunken way over to Sam.

"It's, like, a trick, you know," she babbled, "'coz'a that teacher. She's always talkin' 'bout this kinda stuff. So, Marcus decided to have it for real!" She laughed and Sam smelled the stale beer on her breath. "See!" She pointed to the back of Marcus' shirt.

"Yeah, man," he laughed, "it means fire!"

"No," Dean stepped in, "it means 'yew'." Marcus and the girl were clearly confused by what Dean had said, but Dean didn't notice. "That," he said, nodding toward the back of Kole's house, "means fire."

Sam followed Dean's glare. Between the house and the bonfire, there was a small deck. Walking out of the back door onto it were men dressed in scarlet robes and masks, and each had a gold chain around his neck with the correct symbol for fire hanging from it. At the end of the procession came a man pushing a wheeled office chair in front of him.

Before the man had even removed the scarlet hood from her head, Dean and Sam knew it was Kole. And, by the way the hood was bowing forward; they knew she was not conscious. Or rather, they hoped that she was merely unconscious. She was taped to the chair with duct tape. Her forearms were wrapped to the arms of the chair, palm up. Her ankles and feet were awkwardly taped to two of the wheeled chair legs.

Dean and Sam began moving toward the deck as inconspicuously as they could, but the partiers were too drunk to notice anything but their own dancing and drinking more beer, and the robed men were too involved in reciting a chant that neither Winchester could hear.

"Now what?" Sam asked Dean. "This doesn't look familiar to me. How do we get her away from them…" But he didn't have time to finish the thought.

The robed men had apparently finished their chant and were ready to move on. The hood was removed from Kole's head and one of the men walked forward and gave her a vicious backhand across her face. She slowly came to with the shake of her head and tried to process what was happening.

"OK," Dean said, "there're nine of those guys. How many do you think you can handle?"

"What?" Sam stared at him in disbelief.

At that point, the robed man who seemed to be the leader walked behind Kole and the rest of the group parted, half to each side of the deck. Kole had begun trying to twist in the chair to free herself from the tape, but the leader leaner over and said something in her ear. She flinched but then looked determined and started moving around again.

The man then grabbed her by the hair, pulled her head back, and removed a knife from somewhere inside his robe that made Crocodile Dundee's blade look like a pairing knife. Dean and Sam began making their way through the crowd of drunken students toward the deck as quick as they could. But, before they could get there, Kole had managed to slip one of her feet out of her immobile hiking boots and kick back.

She knocked the leader off guard and while he staggered, she removed her other foot from her boot. The man righted himself, spun her around to face him, and swung the knife across her arms. She almost kicked herself backward enough to get out of the way, but not quite. The blade sliced across both of her palms. She clenched her teeth and cried out in pain.

The commotion on the mock-altar was finally noticed by a student or two and the murmurs began filtering through the crowd. The kids stopped dancing, which helped Dean and Sam forge a path much easier. They were able to take the robed men on one side of the deck by surprise, but that still left four men advancing on the two of them.

Luckily, the robed men didn't draw out any knives of their own. Also, they didn't seem to know what to do when the boys fought back. The Winchesters easily out-maneuvered them, but that still left the knife-wielding leader.

The leader had pulled the weapon back again to strike, but with her legs free, Kole dug one heel into the ground and kicked the other directly at the man's knee. When the two connected, he let out a howl, dropped the knife, and stumbled backward.

Dean and Sam reached her and each began peeling at the tape on her arms.

"Look out!" she yelled, as a couple of the robed men and some of the students started to rush at them. Dean ran and dove into the small mob while Sam wheeled Kole the opposite way.

But, because neither of them were looking forward, the leader was able to take them by surprise. Just as Kole turned, he struck her with a right cross that sent both her and Sam off the deck. Sam took advantage of the damage Kole had done to the man's knee, leg-locked him, and knocked him off his feet without much difficulty. He then ripped the last of the tape from Kole's wrists.

"You OK?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Yeah," she said as she trembled, "where's Dean?" Sam whipped his head around and ran over to where his brother had nearly finished off the last of the drunken college students. One of the robed men was coming up behind Dean unnoticed and Sam stepped in before the man could land a punch.

Without warning, Kole's house began spewing flames. The students, who had been hypnotized by the battle, now came to life and began screaming and scampering about. Dean and Sam jumped from the deck and away from the fire, but they were separated by the flock of students.

"Sam!" Dean yelled. He looked around and saw the robed leader running the best he could toward the school and realized that he must be chasing Kole, but his bother was being propelled toward the front of the house in the opposite direction. He reached into his pocket for the keys to the Impala and, when Sam met his eyes through the crowd, Dean threw the keys to him.

Sam caught the keys easily over the heads of the students. He saw Dean turn around and make his way towards the college. Unlike Sam, Dean was not being slowed down by students and he quickly disappeared from sight. Once Sam got to the car, the problem became steering clear of the still-frantic kids.

Dean sprinted as fast as he could through the trees to try and catch up with Kole. He was gaining, but luckily the robed leader wasn't because of his injured knee. Dean didn't see Kole, but was able to follow the trail of blood she was leaving behind.

When he reached the college quad, the blood trail stopped, but he had a pretty good idea of where she went. He finally caught up with her in the South Hall.

"Kole!" She whirled around, ready to strike, but Dean caught her hands before she could do any harm. She let out a relieved sigh. "You OK?"

"I'll be fine," she said, taking a deep breath. "I just need my stuff." Dean looked at her, but then shook his head.

"OK," he grabbed the doorknob to her office but it wouldn't turn, "I don't suppose you have the key on you."

"Dean," she little more than whispered, "my boss just tried to kill me. I'm really not worried about the door staying intact." She took a step back and took a breath as she positioned herself to drive her shoulder into the door.

"Wait," Dean told her, and then kicked the door in himself.

"Thanks," she mumbled and ran into the office. She grabbed a backpack that was behind her desk, threw the leather case of DVD-Rs into it, and zipped it. Then, just as quickly, she pulled out a case that, to Dean, looked like something a sniper would carry his rifle in. She yanked the laptop cord from the wall and shoved it all unceremoniously into the case. "OK," she said.

"OK," he said back, and grabbed the backpack from the desk.

They made for the door, but as Dean was passing the threshold, the robed leader was running in. They collided and the force knocked them both backward. It was an immediate domino effect as Dean then fell back into Kole, who in turn stumbled and hit the concrete wall. Hard.

Dean was quicker to stand than the robed man and, deciding that he had had enough, punched him, left then right, and knocked the man out cold. He turned around to see Kole struggling to remain conscious herself, and immediately knew why. There was blood on the wall and a fresh gash across her temple.

"OK," he said, putting her arm around his shoulder and his around her waist, "you can do it. We're almost done. We're almost out of here." He grabbed the backpack and the laptop case; they stepped over the robed man, and left the office.

Dean was careful to take in his surroundings. He wasn't about to let one of those freaks catch him off-guard again. They made it outside just as Sam skidded to a stop in front of them.


	8. the getaway

**Welcome to the Club**

_One step ahead of the devil…  
One step ahead of the man…  
You're one step ahead of evil  
And you can only run as far as you can._

_ One Step Ahead of the Devil, Blue Oyster Cult_

Sam drove the Impala straight through the center of the quad, knowing full well that, had they not been running from this crazy cult, Dean would never forgive him for driving his precious car over sidewalk and courtyard. Given their current situation, he felt he was justified.

He had just maneuvered the car between the North and East buildings when he saw Dean and Kole struggling out of a South Hall door. Coming around the opposite side of the building, were a few men in robes and the wanna-be cultists, the boys who had dressed themselves all in black. Sam had just come to a stop as Dean yanked open the back door, tossed a couple bags in, and both he and Kole fell into the backseat. Dean had only enough time to pull his feet inside when Sam hit the gas again, causing the door to swing itself shut.

"What the…" Sam muttered, nearly hitting the on-coming students who were throwing themselves in front of the car. He swerved and the rear wheels slithered back and forth as he tried to steer around people and buildings. By the time they reached the state route again, Sam's knuckles were colorless as he gripped the steering wheel.

Dean, who had been thrown to the floor of the backseat, surveyed the bloody handprints marring the otherwise spotless interior. He eased himself back onto the seat, took a deep breath, and looked at Kole to try and assess the damages.

Somehow, she was managing to exhibit a number of reactions all at once. She looked bewildered, like she could pass out, and as if she was going to be sick. She felt Dean looking at her and forced herself to take in as much air as her lungs would allow then let it out slowly. She repeated the process a couple of times then sat back in the seat, put her head back, and closed her eyes.

"Kole?" Dean said quietly and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you need to stay awake, OK? At least until we make sure you don't have a concussion or something."

"Concussion?" Sam asked from the front seat as he glanced in the rearview mirror at his passengers. "Do you need a hospital?" he asked before he was able to think. Without looking, he knew Dean was glaring at the back of his head.

"No," Kole told him, opening her eyes and sitting up straighter. "Not around here anyway. I'd just like to put as much distance between me and this town… as quick… as…" her words trailed off as she closed her eyes again.

"Kole!" Dean said, shaking her shoulder. Her eyes flew open again and he said, "Come on you can't go to sleep."

"Dean," Sam pleaded from the front seat, "we need to stop so we can get those cuts bandaged up."

"I know, I know," Dean was getting agitated. He rolled his neck around and heard a satisfying pop, pop, pop. "OK," he said, forcing himself to be more composed, "first big town, first hotel you see that you've actually heard of. That's where we stop. And you," he turned to Kole, "you need to keep talking to me. You need to stay awake Kole. Tell me, how'd you get a name like 'Kole' anyway?"

"It's Maura," she smiled and looked at Dean lethargically.

"Maura?" he asked, confused. He looked at the rearview mirror, seeing Sam's anxious eyes and feeling the Impala pick up speed. "How do you get 'Kole' from 'Maura'?"

She let out an amused breath and leaned forward. She took off her socks, cold and wet from running through the snowy grass without shoes. She turned them inside out as she pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged, feet underneath her.

"It's Maura Nikole," she told him, seeming to have gained some strength from the movement. She attempted to tie the first sock around the gash on her right hand but had trouble. Dean, realizing what she was doing, pulled her hand over and tied it for her as she continued to speak.

"My mother had the name picked out for me as soon as she found out she was pregnant. Or so she said, but she tended to get a little quixotic about those sorts of things." She let out a gasp when Dean pulled the knot of her left hand too tight.

"Sorry," he said bashfully. "Quick…" but he decided not to ask about the word. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "So, Maura Nikole, that's nice."

"Well," she smiled, "I guess she decided to give me her last name rather than my father's when I was born, only realizing later how silly Maura Marten sounded. But, she had already fallen in love with the name and didn't want to change it, so she settled on calling me by my middle name. And, after she died, I shortened it."

She said it so matter-of-factly that Sam had to look at her through the mirror again to see the look on her face. He didn't remember his own mother and might have talked about her death in the same manner, but Dean never did. Dean was four and could remember her. Her death meant more to him and he would never just talk about it as if it were a simple occurrence. And Sam was surprised that Kole, who was six when her mother died, could.

"Hey Sammy," Dean's voice interrupted the thought, "what about up there?"

Sam looked in the direction that Dean was pointing. The sign on the side of the highway listed five different motels, all of which were chains.

"I think we're far enough away for tonight," Dean told them. "We can start moving again in the morning."

Sam was chosen to check them into the motel, as he was the only one that didn't have blood all over him. He drove to the back of the building, making sure to park the car where it could not be seen from the street.

"OK," Sam said when they got out of the car, "we're in 24 and Kole's in 26."

"Two rooms?" Dean asked.

"Well," Sam looked at him awkwardly, "yeah. They connect, though."

Sam grabbed his and Dean's duffle bags from the trunk and brought them into their room, along with their first aid kit. Then, he grabbed Kole's case and backpack from the backseat where Dean had tossed them. He walked into Kole's room through the connecting door just as Dean was finishing his examination.

"Well," Dean was saying, "you never lost consciousness, never threw up. Your eyes look fine, since you said they always have those brown spots in them. You don't seem confused and can use words like quick… quick…"

"Quixotic," Sam said with a smile, which was shared with Kole.

"OK, OK," Dean muttered uncomfortably, "just one more test to see if you're all right. What, in your opinion, is the best song ever?" Sam rolled his eyes.

"Oh," Kole said with a little enthusiasm, "that's easy. It's 'The Greatest Love of All'."

It was all Sam could do not to laugh at the look on Dean's face. His eyes grew wide in horror and his chin dropped to his chest. When he started sputtering incomprehensible phrase, Kole laughed.

"So, you're not much of a Whitney fan either, huh? To be honest, I would have to say one of my all-time favorite songs would be 'Paint it Black'."

"The Stones, huh?" Dean said after collecting himself.

"Yeah," she smiled. "Now do I pass Dr. Winchester?"


	9. cleaning up, winding down

**Welcome to the Club**

_A mirror is a negative space  
With a frame and a place for your face  
It reveals what the rest of us see  
It conceals what you'd like it to be_

_Mirrors, Blue Oyster Cult_

The next order of business was to clean out the cuts and scrapes and bandage Kole up. Their biggest concern, of course, was the set of matching slashes she had across both of her palms. But, she also had a busted lip from where the robed man hit her, a large gash on her right temple and the beginnings of what could be a black eye, and numerous small cuts along her left arm and the left side of her face. As far as they could see, all of the injuries had stopped bleeding.

"Those look like they may need stitches," Sam said hesitantly, indicating Kole's hands.

"I think they'll be fine," Kole said. "Sam, could you grab my backpack?"

Sam picked up the bag from where he had left it on the bed while Dean continued to make sure the cuts were free of all lint and sock fuzz. Sam placed the bag on the counter. Kole took her hands back from Dean, opened one of the front pockets of her backpack, and retrieved a small cylinder with purplish liquid inside.

"What's that?" Dean asked.

"Liquid stitches," Kole told him while she patted her hands dry on a towel, then blew on them.

"I thought that only doctors could get that stuff," Sam said. "How… and where did you get them?"

"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies," Kole said absent-mindedly and without looking up them. She was busy prepping the stitches. "OK," she said when she finally looked at them, "I can't do this on my own. I need one of you to apply the liquid and the other to push the cut closed as much as possible."

Without responding or even looking at each other, Dean and Sam each knew which task they would perform. Sam took the stitches and Dean took hold of one of Kole's hands.

"Should we put some antibiotics on this first?" Sam asked.

"No, the stitches won't stick," Kole told him, then gave Sam a sincere smile. "It will be all right. Don't worry so much."

After the initial weirdness of it, Sam felt much more confident when applying the stitches to Kole's other hand. Once her hands were cleaned off and the stitches dry, Kole was able to help with the rest of her injuries. She splashed some water on her face to wash off the blood and dirt and used a washcloth on her split lip and temple.

"Where did that come from anyway?" Sam asked when she gingerly touched the spot a few time. Kole looked up at Dean through the mirror and gave him a quick eyebrow arch.

"Uh…" Dean said, "I'll tell you later." He was still a little embarrassed that he had been caught off guard so easily. "You have a bunch of glass in your hair. Is that from the front window?"

"Yeah," it was Kole's turn to blush a bit, "I was paying too much attention to the phone and calling you guys and… well, I was too close when the kids threw bricks through it." She was rummaging around in the front pocket of her backpack again. She pulled out another small tube, looking a little different from the last, and started painting over her damaged temple.

"I thought you needed help with the stitches," Dean said, pausing momentarily from tweezing bits of glass from her hair.

"This is only a bandage, not stitches."

"Liquid stitches, liquid bandages," Sam said with a laugh, "don't you believe in the old tried and true adhesives?"

"I hate those," she told him. "They make my skin itch and I can never get all the glue off. Hey," she grabbed Dean's hand as he was above to tweeze a bit of glass from her eyebrow, "I can do it now. Besides, you guys should probably start working on cleaning yourselves up."

Dean and Sam looked down at themselves and then at each other, then nodded their agreement.

"Oh," Kole stopped them, "I don't suppose one of you has something I can sleep in? I have an extra outfit in my bag, but I was hoping to wear it tomorrow… when I get some new clothes… I just don't want to wear this," she indicated the dirty and bloodied clothing she was wearing, "any longer than necessary."

The boys left for their room, Sam coming back long enough to hand Kole a large flannel shirt. Then, he joined Dean at the sink and surveyed his own various bumps and bruises. Nothing had broken the skin, so the damage was slight. He looked at his brother through the mirror and saw for the first time that Dean had a cut on his shoulder.

"Where did that come from?" Sam asked as he tried to get a better look. He couldn't be sure how deep the cut was because Dean had a good deal of blood on him that wasn't his.

"The leader guy," Dean sighed. "When I caught up with Kole, we broke into her office so she could grab some things, and when we were leaving… I just wasn't paying attention. The leader and I bumped into each other in the doorway. We both fell backwards. I bumped into Kole and she fell, which caused her to bump her head. I didn't even notice the guy's knife…"

"Dean Winchester not paying attention?" Sam ask incredulously. "Dean Winchester not noticing a knife? What's going on, man?"

"Gee, Sam, I don't know. I guess it's been a rough couple of days." He was immediately sorry for inadvertantly bringing the subject up again, and Sam didn't miss the cue.

"Dean, I really am sorry, man. If there was something I could say to make you believe that, something better than a lame apology, I would. I just… I don't know what to do to show you… to let you know…"

"Sammy," but Dean quickly cleared his throat and started over. "Sam, look, what's done is done. We don't have to talk about it anymore."

"But, I think we need to. I think…" but Sam was cut off mid-sentence.

"What the…?" Dean sputtered as he quickly turned from the mirror, walked to the front of the room, and opened the door to the adjoining room. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, almost running into Kole, who gasped and jumped a foot or two backwards.

She had taken a quicker shower than either Winchester knew was possible. Her hair was still wet, but pulled back with a plastic clip. She had slipped on a pair of shoes and was wearing Sam's flannel shirt, which reached her knees in the front but only halfway down her thigh on the sides.

"How did you do that?" she asked when her heartbeat slowed back to normal. "There's no doorknob on your side." Dean swung the door back towards himself a little so that Kole saw the tape he had placed over the lock. Her eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Now answer my question," Dean demanded. "Where are you going?"

"I was just going down the hall to get a drink from the machine." She was to stunned to give him any attitude with her answer.

"No," he said, shaking his head, "I'll get it. You stay here. Safety precaution." He started to walk out of her door, but then stuck his head back in. "What kind?"

"Uh, diet." And Dean walked out again. Kole blinked away her amazement. She turned to Sam, who was standing in the adjoining doorway smiling at her.

"Just what was that?" she asked, pointing her thumb in the direction that Dean left.

"Oh that," Sam grinned, "that was just Dean being Dean."

"Which means what, exactly," she glared.

"Dean is at his best when he is taking care of his family," Sam explained. She game him a puzzled look. "It's your own fault, you know," he laughed. "He thinks you're our cousin, which you are in a way, but I think Dean missed the part about our uncle being your _step_-dad. And I would suggest you don't explain it to him because, as much as I love my brother, I have to tell you that he is a relentless flirt."

Kole just shook her head again. Sam laughed and continued.

"I have to thank you, though. It's usually me being told to sit, stay, and shut up."

Before Kole could respond, Dean was back and knocking at her door. She opened the curtain to see him give her a little smile and eyebrow raise.

"Sorry," she called to him through the window, "that isn't the secret knock."

Sam laughed out loud at the frown on his brother's face. But, Kole just gave him a smirk.

"Safety precaution," she explained over-sweetly and shrugged, then let the curtain fall back into place.

But it was going to take more than that to keep Dean out. He simply took a step to his left and unlocked his own door. He stepped in and scowled at Kole through the adjoining door. He took a step closer and shoved a can in her hand.

"Here," he said with an edge. "I got the caffeine-free because it's late and you could use the sleep."

"Thanks," she said in a thankless tone, tilting her head and looking him in the eye. The stare-down lasted a couple of minutes, with Sam looking back and forth like he was watching a tennis match. Finally, Dean broke the silence.

"You're welcome," he said, walking away from her and into his own room.

"Goodnight Sam," she smiled, then called past him to Dean. "Goodnight Nana!" Then she closed the adjoining door with a slam.

"What was that all about?" Dean asked Sam.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Sam said. When Dean looked at him without understanding, he continued. "Dean, this is a girl who has pretty much lived on her own since she was 16. And she was doing fine. Now, suddenly, we drop in on her and everything gets turned upside-down and you're telling her she can't walk 20 feet to get her own can of soda."

"That was more than 20 feet…" when Sam raised his eyebrows, Dean rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm getting a shower."

Taking his cue from Kole, Dean's shower was quick. When Sam had finished his equally speedy shower, Dean was already asleep on his bed. Sam sighed, realizing that tonight would be the same as the last. Was that just last night? Just yesterday, they went to the Asylum; just last evening, Sam shot Dean; just last night, Dean slept harder than Sam knew was possible and Sam woke up from the horrible nightmare of beating his brother mercilessly.

The thought made Sam shiver. He was suddenly wide awake and didn't even want to try and sleep. He was just looking around the dark room wondering what to do with his time, when he heard movement in the adjoining room. It wasn't in-bed, tossing-and-turning movement, it was walking-back-and-forth across the floor movement.

Sam moved to the connecting door and knocked lightly, trying not to wake up Dean or, if he had been wrong about the movement, Kole. Though she didn't answer the knock, Sam heard Kole bump into something and curse quietly. He knocked lightly again, this time opening the door at the same time.

"Kole?"

Kole gasped and jumped as she turned around at the sound of her name.

"Oh, Sam," she whisper, holding her hand to her heart. "You surprised… what are you doing? Did I wake you up?"

"No," he smiled. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," she said, smiling back.

Sam tiptoed into the room and closed the door slowly, until there was only a sliver of an opening. Then, he seemed to relax and walk into the room normally. He sniffed and noticed a familiar smell. He looked at Kole curiously.

"OK, OK," she said, raising her hands in mock surrender, "you caught me. I made coffee. But you can report back to Dean that it's decaf. Sorry, the soda wasn't cold enough and I didn't think I should risk going out for ice."

"Hey, it's your business," Sam laughed. He looked at one of the beds in her room and saw she had emptied her backpack. "What is all this stuff?" He couldn't believe it had all fit into her bag.

"Oh, this? Just the contents of my Mary Poppins carpet bag," she said, as if reading his mind. "I'm just an experienced packer. When you only travel by bus or train or plane, you learn the finer art of packing light but well. It's part of the fun. It's like a puzzle."

"A-ha," Sam smiled. He had never really thought of it that way. He walked closer to the bed and saw a very well stocked array of essentials for a world traveler, with the exception of only including one outfit. "So, you kept all this in your office?"

"Yeah," she said, turning away. "I was just doing an inventory to see if there was anything else I will need to buy tomorrow. But, I think just the clothing…" her voice trailed off as she started packing up the backpack again, keeping her eyes down.

"Kole, what's wrong?" But comprehension started sinking in. "Did you have a reason to keep an emergency bag in your office? Did you know something was going to happen?"

She finished packing, but still didn't look up. When she busied herself refolding her extra set of clothes, Sam came around to her side of the bed and turned her by the shoulders to face him.

"Kole, did you know…" he asked softly.

"No," she sighed, then sat on the bed and Sam followed. "I feel so stupid. No, I didn't _know_ something… or anything was going to happen. It's just… I started getting a weird feeling. Weird feelings. I couldn't even pinpoint them. There were stupid little things. An odd question from my department head, a book from my office going missing, strange looks from students when I walked by… I just thought I was being paranoid." She looked up at him with misery in her eyes.

"But you were smart enough to do something," he said, trying to reassure her. "You made an escape plan."

"I can't exactly take all the credit," she said with an unhappy laugh, shaking her head. "In all the extra moments that I spent packing my backpack, I never gave much thought to contacting anyone to help. I didn't plan or even anticipate the arrival of the Winchester Calvary."

After a few moments, Sam realized that Kole was finished talking. She sat on the bed, quiet and disheartened.

"Hey," Sam said, "you want to watch a movie?"

"It's 2:00 in the morning, Sam. This place doesn't seem the type to have the movie channels. I think all you'll find on at this time of the morning are infomercials and scrambled porn. And I don't really care if we aren't technically cousins…"

"No," Sam stopped her before she could finish. "I meant one of those." She looked over to where he pointed. It was her leather case of DVD-Rs.

"Oh. Sam, those aren't movies."


	10. secret code

**Welcome to the Club**

_Wish I was a better person with more control  
Turn the other cheek when the punch comes, roll  
Wish I was a kinder person, could see the other's pain  
Not overreact, never judge, shrug off the spreadin' stain_

_ Damaged, Blue Oyster Cult_

"Kole," Sam said, looking at her strangely, "that case was open when we were in your office. Dean read off some of the titles, and the dates, and the actors."

"Well," she looked down, "let's call it a secret code."

"Secret code?"

"Yeah. OK, here's the story. Those weird feelings I had? Well, during my first month at Woodcreek, Jane, my TA, told me that a student stopped by to borrow a book. She said he told her that he had cleared it with me. Only, I never had a student ask to borrow a book.

"Then, about a week later, I was walking across the quad and saw the book in a garbage can. It was an open wire can and the book stood out among the rest of the notebook pages, as it is kind of a bright shade of green. It was a Norse Mythology book…"

"The Nine Worlds?" Sam interrupted.

"Yes," Kole gaped, but shook her head and continued. "The book wasn't an old collector's item or anything. It was not particularly valuable, only the $20 I spent on it. It was just…"

"Weird?" Sam finished her sentence again.

"Yes. That's when I started to copy my books. I don't know why I felt I needed to. It just became sort of an obsession. After I had typed out all of my books and scanned the pictures, I went through my notebooks. I had taken a lot of notes when I was in school and whenever I found something of interest in a book that I couldn't buy or borrow. It all went to my computer.

"Then, I went to the stacks at the school's library, I requested books from other University libraries, I went on-line, went through town records… Just any and all information. I wanted it all on my computer where I could retrieve it when needed. And if I couldn't simply type out information, I scanned photos and drawings and kanji…" she stopped when she noticed Sam staring at her.

"I know," she said. "I know I sound crazy. This fire tonight… last night, that's the third home-demolishing, possession-destroying fire I have lived through in my 25 years of life. I've never really had anything that I wasn't willing to give up easily. I guess once I found something I wanted to keep, I became fixated on getting as much of it… of the knowledge that I could."

"I'm sorry," Sam told her. "I wasn't thinking you were crazy. It just started coming together. Your secret code… those," he pointed again at the leather case, "are full of information on all the mythology and supernatural and… everything you teach?"

"Yes," she laughed. "I made two copies, one for my home and one for my office, of every disc. And I guess, in my obsession, I used a sort of code to label them. It's like the old 'hide in plain sight' trick."

"So this one," Sam reached over to the case and opened it to the first disc, "Dracula, 1931, Bela Lugosi?"

"Full of information about all kinds of blood suckers."

"What about beings that suck souls or steal organs?"

"Dracula's Daughter, 1936, Gloria Holden."

"Wow," Sam said quietly and flipped through the discs. It took him a moment before he realized Kole was grinning at him. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, but continued to smile, "it's just nice to be able to talk to someone and not have them think you're crazy or idiotic or anything."

"I definitely don't think you're crazy," he laughed. "Wait a minute. Did you say it was 2:00?"

"Well," she said, turning to look at the clock radio between the beds, "it's actually about 20 after."

"Kole, I'm sorry. I should let you get some sleep."

"Don't worry," she told him, "I'm not tired. I actually have frequent bouts of insomnia."

Once they realized that neither of them was keeping the other awake, Sam and Kole continued talking. Sam, for the first time, talked about Jess's death and the nightmares. As much as he felt guilty for thinking it, he felt that Kole was the perfect mix of Jess and Dean. Like Jess, she was easy to talk to and hadn't known him all his life, so there were no embarrassing memories to dredge up. But, like Dean, he could talk about the abnormalities of his life without risk of her running away screaming.

……….

Dean, once again, awoke gradually. While his body didn't ache the way it did the morning before, there was still enough lingering pain to make him move slowly. He turned his head to look at the clock on the nightstand, but instead saw the empty bed across from him. Suddenly, he was awake.

He crept to the window and looked out carefully. The Impala was the only car he could see and there were no signs of life in the parking lot. He glanced towards the bathroom and saw that the door was open and the light was off. He turned to the door connecting their room with Kole's.

Dean pushed the door open slowly and quietly. When there was just room for him to fit through, he walked in and saw Sam asleep, hopefully asleep, on the nearer bed.

"Sam?" he whispered softly as he approached the bed. But then, in his peripheral vision, there was a shape moving toward him from behind. As it reached out, he heard a low…

"Shhh…"

Dean spun around quickly, grabbed the figure by the neck with his left hand, slammed it against the wall, and pulled his right hand back, poised to strike. But Sam's voice stopped him.

"Dean, no!"

Dean looked and realized that he had Kole pressed against the wall. However, before he had a chance to loosen his grip, Kole grabbed his wrist with her right hand and clawed it as she twisted outward. And, in almost one strange motion, she managed to bring her right knee up and connect it with Dean's stomach, and then gave him a left cross at his jaw.

Dean staggered back a couple of steps. Sam sat on the bed stunned at what he just witnessed. Dean and Kole stood across from one another, both slightly crouched as if waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, they simultaneously took a short step towards one another.

"Hey," Sam shouted and bounded from the bed, placing himself between them, "Mr. And Mrs. Smith! Why don't you two take your separate corners?"

Again, Sam's voice woke Dean from instinct-mode. Dean shook his head, took a deep breath, and silently walked back to his room. Sam looked at Kole, who was also beginning to relax. He walked back into his own room.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded. "I know I made the crack last night about you not being at your best, but that was… that was…" Sam stopped yelling and looked at his brother.

Dean was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. He was breathing hard and his hands were shaking.

"Dean?"

"Oh, God, I'm becoming you Sam. It was that night. It was that night all over again, but I wasn't there. I don't think I was there. But I don't think I dreamed it. How could I have heard him? How?"

"Dean," Sam started to panic, "what are you talking about, man?"

Dean looked up at Sam. His eyes were dark and hollow, not intense as they had been only moments before. Sam hurried over and sat next to Dean. Dean took a deep breath.

"He was looking down at you," he told Sam, sounding mechanical. "He was there when Mom came in and he turned and said 'shhh' and turned back. When I saw Mom start to come back towards the hall, I ran to my room. It was past my bedtime."

Sam didn't know what to say. His brother looked like a zombie sitting next to him.

"If she saw me in the hall and yelled at me… maybe Dad would have heard and come upstairs sooner. Maybe the fire wouldn't have happened. Maybe…"

"No, Dean," Sam said forcefully, finally understanding what his brother was saying, finally knowing what night he was talking about. "Dean, you can't blame yourself. You can't… Dean? Dean!"

But Dean didn't look at him, didn't move. He just sat there and stared at nothing. Sam moved from the bed to squat down in front of him to try and look him in the eye. Dean remained frozen.

"Guys?" Kole said softly as she knocked on the adjoining door.

"Kole," Sam called out but didn't want to walk away from Dean.

"What's going on?" she asked, hurrying into the room having heard the distress in Sam's voice.

"I don't know," Sam said without looking at her. "It's like he just shut down."

"Dean isn't bipolar or schizophrenic is he?" she asked as she crouched down next to Sam.

"No!"

"Hey, it's not a judgment. People have no control over psychological or medical disorders. It's just that catatonic stupor and catatonic excitement usually go hand in hand with such disorders. Can I try something?"

"Sure," Sam said, bewildered at both the situation and Kole's lengthy diagnosis. He shifted his weight to one side and then sat down so that she could be front and center.

"Dean?" she said softly and put her hands on his shoulders. "Dean?" she said a little louder. Then, without a third warning, she slapped Dean with her right hand.

"Hey," Sam yelled and pushed her roughly, knocking her to the floor.

"A slap sounds worse than it is," she tried to explain. "And I got him on the left side," trying to be cheerful, then muttered, "since I decked him on the right."

Sam had gotten to his feet and was looking angrily at her. He took a step forward menacingly and she tried to crab walk backwards, only to remember too late the gashes that still throbbed on her hands.

"Sam?" she said nervously as she fell back onto her elbows. She glanced at Dean behind him. He was coming out of his trance, but not fast enough.

"Just who do you think you are?" the voice was livid and threatening, and not Sam's. He took another step towards her and, as she tried to move backward, he kicked her legs out from under her.

"Sam, what's going on?"

"_Sam, what's going on?_" he mimicked meanly. "I'll tell you what's going on. I'm thinking of finishing what the boys back at your house couldn't." And without looking away from her, he picked up a knife from the dresser.

Kole's eyes went wide and Sam sneered. He took another step towards her and lifted the knife Psycho-style above his head. But, as he crouched down to reach her, Kole took the opportunity and kicked up to his groin.

Sam dropped the knife and fell over, grasping himself in pain. The thud of Sam's body hitting the floor made Dean finally awaken fully and turn his head to see what was going on. But, Kole didn't see it, as she was picking herself up and running back to her room. As she closed the door between the rooms, she remembered to take the tape off the latch.

There were only a few items that she had left out in her room. She quickly ran around to grab them and shove them into her backpack. She flung the pack onto her shoulders, grabbed her computer case, and Kole ran out of her motel room door and away from the Winchesters as fast as she could.


	11. so, here's what happened

**Author's Notes:** I hope that this chapter makes sense. It is written in 3 parts, 1 for each of the characters. The parts are not necessarily consecutive or concurrent, but over-lapping. And, while I usually write in 3rd person past tense, there are bits here that are 1st person present. I hope it is not too confusing!

**Welcome to the Club**

_Did you catch the fever  
Flying toward the moon?  
Sailing in space to a distant shore  
You kind of wondered what they came here for_

_Moon Crazy, Blue Oyster Cult_

**Dean**

_It's in his room. I can't see it, but I know it is there. It's too close to the baby, my little brother. I have to see._

Four-year old Dean, knowing it is way past his bedtime, climbs out of bed as quietly as he can and tiptoes across the hall to his brother's bedroom. He sees a man, or something resembling a man, looking down into the crib where his brother is whimpering. He takes a hesitant step forward but then hears his mother's steps in the hallway, coming closer.

_No time to run back to my room. There's a dark shadow in the corner. I can hide there and then slip out when Mommy is looking at Sammy._

When Mommy comes into the room, the man turns and tells her, "Shhh…"

_Here she comes_, thinks Dean from the Hallway, and runs back to his room and throws the covers over his head. But Mommy returns, running up the stairs, calling for Sam. Quiet, then all Dean can hear is the scream.

"Dean," Daddy yells while smoke pours from Sammy's room. "Take Sammy!" _Protect Sammy!_

"Dean," Daddy yells again, trying to block the image of Mommy on fire, on the ceiling. "Take Sammy outside!" _Save Sammy!_ "Run Dean!" _Fight for him!_

And Dean runs, but he doesn't have the baby in his arms. He is 26 and running up the stairs to Sam's apartment. There's Sam lying on his bed beneath a ceiling full of flames once again. Only this time, the fire holds Jessica. And Sam is no longer a baby, but is still unable to move.

"No!" Sam screams. _Dean!_ "No, Jess!" _Protect Sammy! Save Sammy! Fight for him!_

Running into the room, Dean grabs his brother and pulls him to safety. He stops to catch his breath, and Sam is gone.

……….

Dean woke up gradually. His body didn't ache the way it did the morning before, but there was still enough lingering pain to make him move slowly. He turned his head to look at the clock on the nightstand, but instead saw the empty bed across from him. Suddenly, he was awake. _Fear._

He scanned the room, looked out the window, Sam wasn't there. _Trepidation._

Dean turned to the door connecting their room with Kole's and pushed it open slowly and quietly. When there was just room for him to fit through, he walked in and saw Sam asleep on the nearer bed. Hopefully he was asleep. From Dean's angle, he couldn't be sure that Sam was breathing. _Panic._

"Sam?" he whispered softly as he tiptoed to the bed. Then, in his peripheral vision, he saw it. Again. It was the figure he had been trying to push from his mind for 22 years. It was dark and didn't make a sound as it moved behind him. _Terror!_

As it reached out, he heard a low, "Shhh…" _Protect Sammy! Save Sammy! Fight for him!_

Dean spun around quickly, grabbed the figure by the neck with his left hand, slammed it against the wall, and pulled his right hand back, poised to strike. But Sam's voice stopped him.

"Dean, no!"

Then, he was sleepwalking. He only vaguely remembered Kole defending herself and Sam telling him to back down. He barely felt the steps he took back to his room, to his bed, and when he sat down. He was cold and his entire body was shaking.

When Sam came in and began talking, the words were thick and deep, like a record being played too slowly. But when Dean spoke, he heard himself babbling, words spilling from his mouth, as the record was sped up too fast. It was too much. He couldn't control the speed of life, his own breathing, the coldness that wrapped around him like an unwanted blanket. He fought with his own brain to focus but the inner workings of his mind slowed to a stop.

Until an unexpected slap stung his left cheek. It started the gears moving again, slowly, but little by little he awoke as if for the first time that day.

The sound of a door slamming made him jump. He looked around his room confused, and saw Sam lying on the floor holding himself and gritting his teeth.

"What's going on?" he asked as he slid off the bed to see if Sam was OK.

"Kole," Sam roared. He mumbled something that Dean could not understand, but still knew that something was wrong. Sam, with some effort, got himself into a kneeling position and Dean saw him grab a knife from the floor.

"Sam," Dean said with surprise, "what are you doing?"

Between a cluster of rantings, including 'she won't get away with this', 'I'll make her pay', and 'she'll be sorry', Sam made his way to the door of their room with the knife clenched in his fist.

"Sam," Dean found his voice as he got up to meet his brother. Sam turned to face him and Dean did the first and only thing he could think of. He slapped Sam hard across the face.

**Sam**

_I don't want to hurt him. You can't make me hurt my brother._

But Sam knows he's wrong, even as he is thinking it because at the same time, he is also thinking…

Stupid… pathetic… loser… control-freak… daddy's boy… 

And there's a laugh. It's not Sam's; it's the mad ghost doctor laughing. He is so proud of himself, Sam can tell. It's as if they are one. Almost. The doctor is in control. He is taking Sam's innermost dislikes and pet peeves and twisting them until they are more, intensifying them until they are feelings of full-blown hatred and loathing.

But there is still a small part of Sam trying to regain control, trying to fight but just not strong enough.

_No! I can't hurt him. I don't want to. He's my brother._

But there he is, shooting Dean in the chest. No, luckily only with rock salt, but the irate side of him is already trying to find a way to do more damage.

_No! Stop! I don't want to hurt him!_

And he is starting to get mad. The part of Sam that is trying to stay in control is getting angry at the part of him that wants to hurt Dean. And he realizes too late that he is giving in to the rage. Despite the old saying, it is impossible to fight fire with fire. You can not fight anger with anger, evil with evil, madness with madness.

Sam is only feeding the inferno. Both parts of him are angry now. One at Dean and the other at himself. It's a downward spiral and he knows it but he can't stop falling, let alone come back up.

……….

Sam woke up when he heard his name, sat up at the sounds of a struggle in the room, and was completely alert by the time he saw Dean with his hand on Kole's throat.

"Dean, no!"

All Sam could do was watch as his brother was kneed in the stomach and struck in the face. But, when he realized that Dean and Kole might not be finished with their battle, he jumped from the bed.

"Hey," Sam shouted, placing himself between them, "Mr. And Mrs. Smith! Why don't you two take your separate corners?"

Sam watched as Dean walked back to their room. Kole seemed to relax as well, so he followed Dean.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded. "I know I made the crack last night about you not being at your best, but that was… that was…" Sam stopped yelling and looked at his brother. "Dean?"

His brother was speaking quickly, and wasn't making much sense. Something about a dream and 'him'.

"Dean," Sam started to panic, "what are you talking about, man?" _He's my brother._

Dean's eyes were dark and hollow, something Sam had never seen before. Sam hurried over and sat next to him. Dean took a deep breath and began speaking again. It was still quick, but also emotionless. Dean was talking about the night their mother died and seemed to think he could have prevented it. _No, you will not hurt him again._

"No, Dean," Sam said angrily. "Dean, you can't blame yourself. You can't… Dean? Dean!"

But Dean didn't look at him, didn't move. He just sat there and stared at nothing. Sam moved from the bed to squat down in front of him to try and look him in the eye. Dean remained frozen. _No! I will not let him be hurt again! Not by me or anyone else!_

"Guys?" Kole's soft voice entered the room. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. It's like he just shut down." _I'll get you help. I won't let anyone hurt you._

"Dean isn't bipolar or schizophrenic is he?" Kole had the nerve to blurt out.

"No!" _I won't let you hurt him…_

"Dean?" Kole said softly. "Dean?" a little louder. Then, she slapped him.

"Hey," Sam yelled and pushed her roughly, knocking her to the floor. _You can't…_

Kole began to try and explain, to defend herself, but Sam was no longer listening. He had gotten to his feet and took a step forward menacingly and she tried to back away.

"Just who do you think you are?" he said as he kicked her legs out from under her. _I will NOT let you hurt my brother anymore!_

"Sam, what's going on?"

"_Sam, what's going on?_ I'll tell you what's going on. I'm thinking of finishing what the boys back at your house couldn't." And without looking away from her, he picked up a knife from the dresser. _You won't hurt anyone ever again._

He liked the look of fear in her eyes. It meant she understood, and if she understood, then he was right. She needed to be stopped. He would not allow his brother to be hurt by anyone again.

As Sam lifted the knife above his head, crouching down, ready to strike, Kole kicked her foot up hard to meet his groin. The pain that radiated through his body only distracted him until he could once again move.

"What's going on?" Dean's voice, something that should have given him reassurance, was dismissed as background noise.

"Kole," Sam growled. "You can't get away from me that easy." Sam painfully rolled himself into a kneeling position, grabbed the knife from where it had fallen, and stood up.

"Sam, what are you doing?"

"She can't hurt you. She won't get away with this. I'll make her pay for what she did. I'll make sure she's sorry for what she did." Sam was mumbling, barely able to hold onto one thought before the next one began.

"Sam!" Dean's voice made Sam flinch, having finally reached Sam's brain. He turned to face Dean and was promptly slapped hard across the face.

"What was that for?" Sam asked, rubbing his face.

"You tell me," Dean said. "You were the one that was charging after Kole with a knife."

Sam's eyes grew wide. He looked down and saw the knife next to his right shoe.

"Dean… I…" Sam stuttered.

"We can figure it out later. We need to find Kole."

**Kole**

She ran as fast as she could, trying to get out of sight before Sam could get up and try to follow her. If they were anything like their father, Dean and Sam were good trackers and she didn't want to make things any easier for them.

She hit the main road and stopped, looking one way then the other. She hadn't been paying attention during the drive the night before and had no idea where she was. All she knew was that she didn't want to head back to the college.

She began jogging the opposite wayshe thought they had come from and was soon greeted with a few small buildings. There was a gas station or two, a family owned diner and a couple different burger chains, and a few Mom & Pop type shops. Coming closer to the gas stations, she saw that one had a coffee shop inside. She took a deep breath and stepped in.

Choosing a booth in the back of the shop, near the emergency exit, Kole sat and put her face in her hands.

"What can I get you?" the waiter, having come surprising quick, made her jump. He was 20 at the most, tall and broad-shouldered, and had a sweet smile. Probably the guy that everyone in school would have hated, except that he was too nice.

"Are you OK, ma'am?" Well, so much for the 'too nice' stuff. _I'm not a _ma'am_ yet!_ But, there was genuine concern in the boy's voice.

"I'm fine," Kole lied, but then looked at her reflection in the silver napkin dispenser and cringed. She was a wreck. She looked back up at the worried waiter and smiled, "Minor car accident."

The explanation seemed to pacify him. He took her order and then left.

The menu told her that she was in Stillwater, which meant very little. Kole pulled out her cell phone and paused. There was no one for her to call. She hoped that Jane hadn't been involved in the cult gathering at her house, but she couldn't be sure. She also didn't want to put Jane in any danger by trying to reach her if she wasn't involved.

The only other person she could think to call was John Winchester. She had his number, but had never called it. She had never needed to. John seemed to appear when she needed him, like her own personal guardian angel or super hero. He was the one who pulled her out of a burning house when her father, John's brother, was killed. He showed up on a few occasions when she was in college and just needed someone, like a parent, to talk to.

But, two Winchesters had already attacked her today, why push her luck and make it three?

Kole was just putting her phone away when Tony, her waiter, came back with her coffee.

"Can I get you anything else?" he asked. "We have donuts, muffins, some excellent egg dishes…"

"No, I'm not hungry," Kole said, appreciative of his concern. "But thank you. Do you have any bus schedules?"

"I think so. Let me check." And Tony left once more.

Kole had leaned over and was searching her backpack when another voice made her jump.

"Should an insomniac really be drinking coffee?" Dean asked, standing at the edge of the bench. Sam was standing, blocking the opposite bench, though no one was in it. Kole was contemplating her next move when Tony came back.

"Excuse me," Tony said, his voice a little deeper than it had been and Kole noticed that he was flexing a bit. "Is there a problem here?"

"No problem here, Sport," Dean smirked. Dean and Tony looked at each other for a moment, then Tony turned to Sam, then Kole.

"They weren't involved in your… car accident… were they?" Tony asked, looking conspiratorial.

"Car accident?" Dean and Sam said at once and looked at Kole with worried expressions.

"No," she sighed, "actually, they're the ones who helped me out of it."

Tony nodded, handed Kole the bus schedules, and walked away, but her made sure to keep an eye on the table.

"Can we talk?" Dean asked. Kole took a deep breath and looked from one brother to the other.

"Sure Joan," she said with a humorless smile, and indicated that they should both sit on the other side of the booth, "we can talk."


	12. a little research

**Welcome to the Club**

_And where there's smoke, there's fire, the flip side of desire.  
And if it's true, it can't be you, it might as well be me.  
_

_ Spy in the House of the Night, Blue Oyster Cult_

"Where is that kid with the coffee?" Dean asked after ten minutes of the three of them sitting and staring at one another in silence, and Kole sipping her coffee.

"I don't think Tony likes you," Kole said and turned toward where the waiter was standing. It only took a second of their eyes meeting before he headed to their booth.

"Can I get you anything else?" the boy asked Kole, his back to Dean and Sam as if they were not even there.

"I could use a refill," she told him with a smile.

"And I could use a mug," Dean said before Tony had the chance to leave. Tony gave a quick nod and walked away. "Wow, you sure make friends fast," he told Kole.

"Well," she smirked, "I'll give it a little time yet. If he doesn't come after me with a knife or his fist in the next few hours, I'll count him as a true pal."

Dean and Sam were saved from having to respond by Tony's return. He didn't stay; just long enough to set down two more mugs. He poured the coffee at the table, starting with Kole, so it was a good sign that the kid didn't spit in Dean or Sam's.

"So," Kole began again, "how did you find me so quick?"

"Wasn't hard," Dean told her. "You were on foot, we have a car. When Sam saw the sign for WiFi and a coffee bar, he was pretty sure this is where you'd be. That must have been some slumber party you two had for him to be so certain."

"Well," Kole said, readily taking the bait, "maybe if you had stayed up long enough for the hair braiding and pillow fighting, you wouldn't have been so cranky this morning."

"Maybe if I hadn't been worried for my brother's safety," Dean said pointedly, "I wouldn't have been so defensive."

"And maybe," Kole said calmly, "if you'd have taken the time to notice…"

"Guys," Sam finally spoke up, cutting Kole off mid-sentence, "this isn't getting us anywhere."

"What's your _point_, Sam?" Kole asked, turning on him. "We've got a slight problem here, no matter how you _slice_ it. If you have any ideas, then you take a _stab_ at it."

"OK," Dean said, "that's enough." He sighed and blurted out the closest thing to a confession and apology that Dean Winchester was capable of. "This morning, I saw you out of the corner of my eye. My vision was still blurry, I guess, and all I could see was a dark shape. I just jumped to the wrong conclusions."

"I get that you were worried," Kole said, looking into her still-full coffee mug. "It was a crazy night and… well, if I seemed to sneak up on you, I didn't mean to."

_So like Dean_, Sam thought. _So quick to dismiss anything that might turn emotional._

It was easy enough for Dean to explain his actions, but both he and his brother knew that Sam's would be much more difficult. Hell, Dean didn't fully understand what was going on, either.

They sat in silence for a few moments more, then Dean excused himself to pay the bill. Sam knew he didn't have much time to try and explain before Dean came back, but he knew Dean was uncomfortable with the subject so he tried his best.

"Kole," Sam started without looking up at her, "I don't know what happened." He tried to tell her about the asylum, Dr. Ellicott, shooting Dean, everything. He didn't know if they were connected, but the feelings were so similar. Only, instead of wanting to hurt Dean, he was trying to protect him.

"So," Kole said slowly, like she was trying to comprehend the uncomprehendable, "some psychotherapist's ghost attacked you and made you want to kill your brother. You had a dream about it and woke up wanting to protect him, making you want to kill me?"

"Yeah," Sam said sullenly, "now I don't even believe it. I don't want to kill you Kole. I don't want to hurt you. And this morning, I don't even know if I realized it was you. You slapped Dean and…"

"In your diseased mind you thought I was trying to hurt him," she said, slightly smiling on only one side of her mouth and arching an eyebrow. He looked so miserable it was hard not to try and ease his guilty conscience.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, sadly smiling.

"Is everything all worked out?" Dean asked hopefully as he walked up to the booth, looking back and forth between his brother and Kole. "Everything forgiven and forgotten?"

"Even young children know that there is no such thing as 'forgiven and forgotten'," Kole told him cynically. "Forgiving is hard, forgetting is harder. Let's say we're square. Last night, you two saved my life. This morning, you both seemed ready to kill me. I'd say we have all the ingredients in place for an interesting afternoon." With that, Kole slid out of the booth.

"So," Sam said hesitantly, "are we OK?"

"Normally, I'd say no," Kole told him. "Who am I kidding? I don't exactly consider this a normal situation. I may have had students who disliked me, but no one has tried to kill me before."

Dean cleared his throat, interrupting her. She glared and started again.

"Fine. Until last night, I have never had anyone try and kill me. Basically," she said turning to face them both, "you guys are getting a not-so-free pass. I'll give you both another chance because of your father. He was there to help me when I thought I had no one. Don't make me sorry about this!"

As she walked out ahead of them, Dean and Sam exchanged glances. It seemed Dad was full of surprises. Apparently, John Winchester had made quite an impression on Kole.

"So, here's how I see it," Dean said when they returned to the motel parking lot. "There are three of us, so we can break up the research accordingly. Kole, you look into this cult of yours. Sam, check out Dad's journal and see if there is any mention of a spirit or demon that latches onto anger and makes you want to kill your friends or family. I'll go into town and see if I can find out anything on the local front."

"Wait a minute…" Kole said, shaking her head in the back seat. "First of all, 'my cult'?" She rolled her eyes at him. "Second, are you seriously telling me that you think we are in a haunted hotel and Sam was possessed this morning? Third, I thought the plan was to leave."

"Well," Dean said, turning around in his seat to face her and speaking as if she were a child, "the plan was originally to leave, but then there was the business this morning with the knife and the trying to kill… Oh, and we're in a 'motel'."

"Dean?" Sam began before Kole could ask another question. "Actually, Dean, I think you and I should swap. If there are any Woodcreek students or faculty in town, they are more likely to recognize you than me."

"Why?"

"Because you were the one who spoke up in Kole's class. And, you came face to face with the cult leader." Sam lowered his voice and leaned in, closing the gap between them. "Besides, I think Kole would probably feel more comfortable if you were the one to stay. You might have attacked her, but your reason didn't include demons or spirits."

"Sam," Dean said, almost whispering, "you know you're better with the computer stuff…"

"But you're better at finding things in the journal…"

They both stopped talking, realizing that Kole was staring at them.

"OK then," Dean said, "it's settled. We'll swap. What are you doing?" he asked Kole as he sniffed the air.

"It was still a mess back here," she stated. "I was just cleaning up."

"Are those baby wipes?"

"Yeah," she smirked at him. "They will take out almost all stains. Oh, and they're lavender-scented, so your car should smell nice for a little while."

Sam drove away in the Impala back to the Mom & Pop shops they noticed in their short search for Kole. Dean handed Kole the room key she had left behind and then took out his own and opened his motel room door. Kole pocketed the key and followed Dean into his room, but stopping just past the threshold so that the door remained open.

"So," she said when Dean took no notice of her and began rummaging through his duffle bag, "I still don't understand. If you are worried about the cult, we should hit the road and put more miles between us. If you think that Sam was possessed earlier, we should hit the road and put miles between us and this motel. And, if neither of those are true, we have no further business here and I don't see why we aren't hitting the road and…"

"Because we don't run away from our problems," Dean interrupted, finally turning his attention to her after finding what he was looking for. "This is our job. It's what we do. We don't run away. We stay and we fight. And, if you are planning on tagging along for awhile, you're just going to have to get used to it." He fell onto one of the beds in his room and made an attempt to get comfortable.

"Right now," he told her, "we're on the boring part." He held up the journal for emphasis. "Research." And, as if that were explanation enough, he began to look through the journal and tried to pretend she wasn't staring at him.

The only reason Kole finally walked through the adjoining door to her own room was so that Dean did not see her yawn. She didn't know why but she had always felt that yawning was a sign of weakness and she tried not to give into it whenever possible. But, after all that had happened yesterday, the sleepless night, and the events of the morning, Kole was starting to wish she had actually drank that second mug of coffee and not just ordered it to spite Dean.

She was not accustomed to sleeping in front of other people, whether they were asleep or not. It became a problem during her first year of college and she was soon demanding a room of her own, no roommate. Still, it was difficult knowing that there were other people outside those thin dorm walls, just as it had been difficult when she lived at home and her father was still alive. Though it had helped with her schoolwork, giving her extra hours for studying that others used for sleep, a few days of only catnaps could really take their toll.

And, without meaning to, Kole just realized that she had only had three hours of sleep in the last few days. Somehow, knowing how little sleep you have had always makes you even sleepier. It was really time for that coffee now.

She set her laptop case down on the table and then walked over to the counter where the room's coffee maker sat. Once it was filled with coffee grounds and water, and she heard the melodious sound of brewing, she inhaled deeply and relaxed. She then took off her backpack and dropped it on one of the beds on the way to the bathroom sink, where she splashed some cold water on her face.

Kole had walked away from the sink and across the room when Dean came through the adjoining door. She jumped backward and tripped over her own feet, her eyes wide with shock.

"Sorry," Dean mumbled, as he hurried over to help her back to her feet. "I smelled the coffee brewing and..." He smiled sheepishly at her.

"Got it," she said absent-mindedly, "the smell is your snake charmer or Pied Piper..."

"Are you OK?"

"Sure," she lied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you look awful," Dean said before he had time to think. He flinched, expecting her to react like a girl, but she took the comment in stride. "I mean, you look tired. You didn't sleep at all last night?"

"No big thing," she said and sat down on the end of one of the beds a little harder than she intended. She stared at the coffee maker, willing it to brew quicker.

"Can I ask you something?" Dean sat down on the end of the other bed and looked at the coffee maker as well.

Kole decided that she was not in the mood for her typical bitchy answer to this silly question and simply shrugged her shoulders as a way of saying 'yes'.

"What did he say to you?"

"Who?" Kole asked confused and looked at Dean. "Sam?"

"No, that dude with the knife. The cult leader. We saw that he said something to you. What was it?"

Kole closed her eyes and tried to make up her tired mind whether or not to answer. It wasn't the answer part that she was worried about; it was the explanation that it would demand. She laid back on the bed and didn't open her eyes.

"He said that I was Agni's sacrifice and…"

"And?"

"And that's why I know this cult has nothing to do with what's going on at this motel!" she said, more exasperated than intended. She sighed deeply and opened her eyes, but did not sit up. "From what I can piece together from different questions I've been asked by people I now know are in this cult and from what I know about the mythologies of different cultures… It's just a… a joke! True, Agni was, at one time, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He was the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices, but he isn't worshipped anymore and is now seen as an incarnation of Shiva or Brahma.

"Plus, it seems that the cult's beliefs are an amalgamation of mythologies. The Islamic fire-demon Shafan, the pre-Roman god of fire Cacus, the Basque god of fire and storms Eate, the Japanese god of fire and wisdom Fudo… even Vulcan, the Roman god of fire… destructive fire… they are all there in some way or another.

"It all leads me to believe that the entire thing was started as a joke… as something for a bunch of frat guys who had nothing better to do with their time… and somewhere along the way, student after student, class after class, they started to believe it as fact… as something to have faith in…"

She closed her eyes again and pressed the heels of her hands to her temples. Her head ached. Her body ached. She was beyond tired; she was exhausted.

"That wasn't what I meant," Dean said quietly, calmly, from the bed next to her. "You were supposed to be a sacrifice… and…"

"And…" she just didn't have the strength to lie or argue anymore, "that I would be with them again. 'You were meant for the fire,' he said."

The cold sting on her face where Dean had slapped her made Kole's already-open eyes wake up and see.

"Oow! What are you doing?" she asked, holding her burning cheek. She looked around and realized she was no longer in her motel room. "What's going on?"


	13. the price of admission

**Author's Notes: **this chapter is dedicated to Kole and gives a bit of her background – hope that doesn't put you off…

**A/N2:** Also, please remember that this was written pre-Hookman and therefore all information about The Demon had not yet been revealed.

**Welcome to the Club**

_Then the door was open and the wind appeared  
The candles blew then disappeared  
The curtains flew then he appeared... saying don't be afraid  
Come on baby... and she had no fear  
And she ran to him... then they started to fly  
_

_The Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult_

Kole's hand was still on her face, but only because she was too preoccupied with the sudden change of scenery to notice.

"So," Sam said from somewhere behind her, "it happened to you too." He sounded genuinely sorry for her. She turned around to see him putting out the last bit of a bonfire with a hand-held extinguisher. Her knees buckled.

"Whoa," Dean said as he held onto her. "Careful now." She turned to look back at Dean and saw that his clothing was singed in places and there was dirt and soot on his skin.

"What is going on?" she asked weakly. "Where are we?"

"There's a pretty big field in back of the motel," Dean told her and nodded over his shoulder to where just the tip of the motel roof could be seen. "And we are in the middle of a wooded area just past it."

"Do you remember anything?" Sam asked, walking towards them. He and Dean began walking Kole back to the motel.

_You are meant for the fire._

Six-year old Nikole sits on the bed in her parents' room watching her mother. Her mother is brushing her thick dark blonde hair at a vanity across from the bed and keeps sneaking peeks at her daughter through the mirror. They make faces at one another and laugh.

The lights flicker and her mother is suddenly on the ceiling above her. Blood drips all around Nikole onto the cream colored bedspread from her mother's open abdomen. Nikole is frozen in place, not realizing that she has begun screaming as the fire starts to spread from around her mother's body. Soon, Nikole is being pulled from the bed by her father and carried out of the house to safety.

_You are meant for the fire._

Kole, as she is now demanding to be called, and her father move into their new home. She meets Tom, the boy across the street, not by going out and playing, but because his parents take him to the same sleep disorders clinic. Kole has not slept but in small fitful powernaps since her mother died. Beds make her nervous, closing her eyes is worse.

But now she has a friend, a narcoleptic boy who is the only one she allows to call her Nikki, and she is the only one he allows to call him Tommy. He is a few years older than she is, but they are soon in the samegrade due to their respective sleep disorders. She is ahead because the only quiet thing she can do while her father is sleeping is read, and her mind soaks up all the information. Tommy is a year behind because of his inability to stay awake in class.

Kole is nearly 16 and is taking driver's ed, and she and her best friend Tom are put in the same car since they are the only two seniors in the class. Tommy is on medication and has not fallen asleep in class in nearly a year. He has been waiting for this day, and he and the teacher get into the front of the car while Kole slides into the back.

His driving is perfect, he is smiling and ecstatic. But on their way back towards the school, Tommy's head hits the steering wheel and he is in a state of cataplexy, unable to pull the car away from the oncoming wall. It is too quick for the teacher to react and they crash.

Kole screams Tommy's name as the teacher pulls her from the car. Before he is able to do the same for Tommy, the car explodes and bits of fiery debris land near Kole, where she sits in the grass at a safe distance.

_You are meant for the fire._

I just need to finish school, Kole tells her father when he is concerned that her sleeplessness has gotten worse than ever. I can't be there anymore. I just want to hurry up and finish. Then, everything will be fine.

She is taking her finals soon after, and in a very small ceremony that only includes her father and the principal, Kole receives her high school diploma. To celebrate, she and her father go to their favorite Italian restaurant. Like always, her father spills some of his food in his lap.

Just as she begins to smell the all-too familiar stench of burning flesh, the smoke alarm starts to go wild. She takes the steps two at a time to try and reach her father. For a split second, she thinks she can help as he is standing on the far side of the bedroom. But then, she realizes that his eyes are wide and he seems glued to the wall, and there is a laceration from his neck to his navel.

Without warning, there are strong arms around her pulling her from the burning room. They lift her up and drag her down the stairs, and out the front door. When they are finally in the yard away from the house, the arms turn Kole around and she sees a man that can only be her Uncle John. She only has the slightest memory of him from 10 years before, but he looks too much like her father not to be related. He pulls her into a hug and tells her that everything will be OK and that she is safe.

_You are meant for the fire._

Kole is bound to a chair and facing the flames. The man standing behind her, the man who had hired her and made sure that she had everything she needed to teach and to live and to be happy, now holds a knife to her throat. He grabs her by the hair, pulls her head back, and whispers in her ear:

_You are Agni's sacrifice. You will be with them again. You are meant for the fire._

And he is absolutely right. She is supposed to be here. She is meant for the fire. It has tried to emancipate her three times, but someone has always been there to stop it. But now, standing here, no longer bound to the chair, in front of the flames she is free. She _will_ be free and she will be with her parents and Tommy again. She just needs to allow it to happen.

She tries to step into the fire, but someone grabs hold of her shoulders from behind. She struggles to get free, but the hands are too strong. She yells and cries out, but she is held fast. Her captor steps in front of her and tries to push her from the sanctified doorway. She fights to get past him…

But everything is gone as he turns her away from the fire and slaps her across the face.

"Oow! What are you doing?" she asked, holding her stinging cheek. She looked around. "What's going on?"


	14. what we're dealing with

**Welcome to the Club**

_Don't miss the deadline, darling  
When all your bad dreams will come true  
_

_Deadline, Blue Oyster Cult_

After an afternoon of talking to all the Moms, Pops, and random town gossips he could find, Sam made his way back to the motel. He pulled the Impala around to the back of the building and noticed a familiar figure walking away from him through the clearing and almost to the trees behind the motel.

Sam ran to the room he shared with Dean and unlocked the door quickly. Dean was sitting on his bed looking at the laptop and sipping a mug of coffee.

"Dean? What's going on with Kole?"

"Oh," Dean said calmly without looking up at him. "Keep your voice down. She fell asleep earlier while we were talking. Oh, and she gave a pretty convincing argument for why that cult has nothing to do with what happened to you this morning."

"No!" Sam almost yelled, ignoring the dig from his brother. "She's not asleep, Dean. She's outside." And with that, Sam ran back out of the door.

Dean was soon off the bed and out the door as well. Sam had stopped a couple of steps into the field that was the backyard of the motel. He was looking around to try and see where Kole could have gone so quickly.

"I don't see…" Dean started to say, but stopped when he saw smoke through the trees. He began sprinting towards the woods as Sam ran back to the car.

"Kole!" Dean called out but got no answer. Somewhere behind him, he heard the Impala's trunk close and knew Sam had gone for the fire extinguisher. You don't live through an unnatural fire or two without learning to prepare yourself for the next one.

"Kole!" Dean called again as he reached the trees and headed for the now-visible fire. He could see something moving on the opposite side of the flames but couldn't tell what it was. Until Kole walked around and threw two more large chunks of wood on the fire.

As the new kindling hit the blaze, it erupted and spit glowing embers towards Kole. Dean saw some of the sparks land on her clothing and one nasty bit settle on her neck, but she didn't even flinch. Then, what was worse, Dean saw her take a step toward the flames, her foot just at the edge of the pyre.

He reached her just as she began taking a second step. He grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to pull her back, feeling the still-hot place on her neck where there would be a painful blister soon, but she fought against him and screamed things Dean couldn't quite make out, though he thought he might have heard the name 'Tommy'.

Sam caught up to them and began spraying the fire with the extinguisher. As he worked, he looked up and saw the battle taking place between his brother and cousin. Dean was now practically between Kole and the blaze, trying his best to push her away from it.

"Dean! You need to wake her up!"

"What?" he looked at Kole's open eyes and realized that they were blind to everything but the fire. "I thought it was dangerous to wake a sleepwalker!"

"More dangerous than letting her walk into a fire?" Sam yelled, still attempting to put out the blaze, not believing the absurdity of his brother's thinking.

And Dean understood. He grabbed Kole's arm and swung her around to face away from the flames, and slapped her hard across the face.

"Oow!" Kole's hand instinctively rose to her cheek. "What are you doing?" she asked angrily, but her expression soon changed when she saw the look on Dean's face and noticed she was no longer sitting on her motel room bed. "What's going on?"

"So, it happened to you too." She spun around and saw Sam putting out the last bit of a bonfire with a hand-held extinguisher. She suddenly felt light-headed.

"Whoa, careful now," Dean said, holding onto her so she wouldn't collapse. She looked up at him and saw that his clothing was singed in places and there was dirt and soot on his skin.

"What is going on?" she asked almost pleading.

"Do you remember anything?" Sam asked as he joined them. They walked back to the motel on either side of Kole, sneaking not-so-secret worried glances at her.

"We were talking about the cult," she said, nearly a question, to Dean. "And we were waiting for the coffee… did I fall asleep?" The boys might have noticed her blush if her face was not already ruddy from being too close to the fire, and the slap from Dean.

"Yeah," Dean said, "you fell asleep. You seemed peaceful… I didn't even hear you leave the room."

"I don't remember leaving," she said, almost to herself.

"What did you dream about?" Sam asked her point blank. The question made her stop in her tracks and stare up at him, bewildered.

"I'm starting to get it," he explained and they all began walking again. "There have been some deaths around here, but none of them have been mysterious or accidental. They've all been either homicides or suicides."

Dean and Kole watched him, waiting for a point, or at least a clue. Sam continued.

"All of the deaths seem to have involved fears or obsessions. The ways these people have died, they haven't been your typical muggings or arguments gone bad and the suicides… well, they weren't… completed… in the standard… ways." He unlocked the motel room door again and the three of them entered the dimly lit room.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked him.

"Well," Sam said softly, "would you call voluntarily walking into a fire as a means to kill yourself, typical? I mean, if we weren't there…" he stole a glance at Kole, but looked down uncomfortably.

"I'd be charcoal and no one would question why," she completed the thought, finally understanding and not at all offended by Sam's remarks.

"That's why I asked about your dream," Sam continued, looking at Kole. "This morning, I dreamt of needing to protect Dean and then attacked you when you hit him because I thought you were a threat."

"And," Kole said following the thought, "I dreamt of the fires…" she stopped herself before she said more than intended.

"And," Dean said from the corner, "just before you fell asleep, you told me that the cult dude told you that you were meant for the fire. I can see where walking into a fire might be the next logical step."

"I wouldn't say 'logical'," Kole said, "but it does help to explain a little. Why weren't you affected?" she asked him.

With both Sam and Kole's eyes on him, Dean shifted uneasily. But, Sam saved him from answering.

"He was. That's why you were so quick to fight this morning, wasn't it?" Dean looked away and Sam took the gesture to mean a reluctant 'yes'.

"OK," Sam said as he stood up, "so it's not about the cult or the motel. It's more likely the town itself." He was mumbling, talking more to himself than Dean and Kole. "Whether it's always been here or this is just a convenient break in its path…"

Sam had taken the laptop and was typing away furiously. Dean had walked behind him and was looking over Sam's shoulder. Kole was still left in the dark.

"What exactly are you guys talking about?"

"Not sure," Sam mumbled, "looking it up."

"Some sort of demon is causing this," Dean told her as if it should have been obvious. "We need to find out what we're dealing with and how we stop it."

"Well," Kole sighed, "I think I may be able to help with the first part." Sam stopped typing and both he and Dean looked at her.

"Nightmares," she began reciting from memory, as if she were lecturing them, "sometimes known as 'waking dreams', were once thought to have been the work of demons, which caused the feeling of breathlessness by sitting on the sleeper's chest. The demons, themselves, go by different names in different countries..."

Sam had started typing again and Dean looked at the screen. At the smirk on Dean's face, Kole rolled her eyes.

"They're spelled differently, so they're pronounced differently," she said, annoyed.

"Yes, _Maura_ Nikole," Dean said, his smirk becoming a lop-sided grin as she glared at him. "I just find it amusing and a little appropriate that we may be dealing with a 'mara'."


	15. narrowing down the possibilities

**Welcome to the Club**

_I choose to steal what you chose to show  
And you know I will not apologize  
You're mine for the taking  
I'm making a career of evil_

_Career of Evil, Blue Oyster Cult_

"Very funny," Kole told Dean. "The only problem with the theory is that a Mara usually produces a feeling of breathlessness or suffocation. The victim is left with sleep paralysis and can't move right when they wake up. Obviously, that isn't the case here."

"Wait," Sam said, "I thought that sleep paralysis was supposed to be the work of The Old Hag. Isn't it called Old Hag Syndrome, or Old Hag Attack, or something?"

"Well," Kole started, "The Old Hag is akin to the Mara. Victims of The Old Hag suffer from sleep paralysis, and in many cases have hallucinations. Some are only auditory, some include visual. Some people claim to have actually seen a demon-faced woman and had her speak to them."

"I don't remember seeing any demon-chick," Dean smirked.

"You know…" Kole said, as she stood up and left for her own room. Dean and Sam were left to look at one another until she re-entered with her own laptop.

"You know," she repeated, "I think we might be on to something, but I can't quite see the connection. The Old Hag," she paused while continuing to type on her laptop. When she found what she was looking for, she sat back and looked up at the waiting Winchesters. "The Old Hag has appeared to countless people in nearly every culture. But, in all the stories I have ever read or heard, her intent is always to steal either the soul or the breath of her prey."

"No," Dean said, starting to see the correlation, "I get it. She steals the soul or breath of her prey? In this case, she's being passive-aggressive." He smiled, expecting both Sam and Kole to understand. Kole narrowed her eyes, but after a moment Sam picked up the line of thought.

"Steals the breath by getting the victim to kill him or herself… Steals the soul by getting the victim to kill someone else."

"Exactly," Dean said with triumph.

"Isn't that sort of a round-a-bout way for a demon to get its kicks?" Kole asked.

"Hey," Dean said, "I don't want to analyze what goes through a demon's brain, if it even has a brain… I just want to know what it is and how to kill it."

Dean walked over to his duffle bag and began looking through it. After tossing a couple T-shirts aside, he stood up again and took his shirt off.

"Dean…" Sam said uneasily and glanced at Kole, who was sliding from her chair in an attempt to leave the room without notice. Sam and his brother were used to changing their clothes in the middle of the room, but Sam couldn't believe that Dean seemed to forget that Kole was present.

"What? We need to clean these burns before they get infected," Dean said plainly. "You're the one with the tank tops," he told Sam. "Why don't let Kole borrow one?"

"Why would I need to borrow Sam's shirt?" Kole asked, confused.

"Because I figured you might not want to sit here topless," Dean smirked. When Kole still didn't understand, he asked, "How's your neck?"

"What about my…" Kole started as she reached up to her neck instinctively. When she touched the spot that was burned, she gasped in shock and pain. She stared wide-eyed at Dean.

"Yeah," Dean arched an eyebrow, "you'll probably have some on your hands and arms, too. I hope those liquid stitches aren't flammable."

"Here," Sam handed a clean tank top to Kole. "We can get that burned cleaned up if you want to come back in here once you're changed."

Kole nodded and took the tank top. She walked through the adjoining door and returned within seconds, clearly having switched shirts with the door still open. She pulled her hair back into a pony tail while she walked across the room to the large mirror outside of the boys' bathroom and stood next to Dean.

Sam watched as they each inspect their own arms, looking for possible burns. He shook his head slightly in amusement, thinking once again how similar they were. Then, just as quickly he frowned, realizing that the thought was a scary one.

"Here you go," he said, pulling a chair up to the mirror so that Kole could sit while he cleaned the burn on her neck. She was actually short enough that he could have completed the task while she stood, but under the unforgiving lights surrounding the vanity, he could really see how beaten up she looked. He mentally commended the coffee shop waiter for trying to stick up for Kole to Dean and himself.

Most of the burns on Dean and Kole's arms were minor, very few needing anything other than a good cleaning. Once Dean had finished putting the anti-biotic on his last burn, the one that needed a large bandage, he had to ask Sam to stop and help, as he couldn't stick the bandage on himself. As he stepped back and held out his arm for Sam, Dean happened to glance at Kole's back.

"What this?" he asked with another eyebrow arch. Had the tank top fit properly, it would have been hidden, but since Sam was much taller than Kole, she had to pull the front of the shirt up to keep from exposing her bra, so the back of the shirt hung lower than normal.

Kole looked up at him through the mirror and Sam's eyes followed where Dean was pointing. Or rather, at first he merely pointed. Now, he ran his finger down her back slightly and lowered the back of the tank top further to reveal her back between her shoulder blades.

"You have a tattoo?" Sam asked wide-eyed in disbelief, before he could stop himself by sounding like a child. Dean let out a quick laugh, though whether it was due to Sam's reaction or the idea that Kole had a tattoo was unclear. Kole rolled her eyes at both of them through the mirror.

"You know," she grinned, "I did have a life before the two of you crashed my class."

The boys weren't listening; they were busy looking at the ink on her back. It consisted of three sets of symbols in a vertical line between her shoulder blades. It was only a few inches long, maybe an inch wide.

"What does it mean?" Sam asked.

"The middle one is strength, right?" Dean asked.

"Very good," she smiled. "_Kenkou, Tsuyosa, Shugo_. Health, Strength, Protection."

"When did you get it?" Sam asked again while he bandaged his brother's arm.

"My first year of college. My boyfriend's idea."

"Tommy?" Dean asked.

"George," Kole told him, trying to mask the surprise at the mention of Tommy's name. "My roommate and I dated twin brothers. George and Geoffrey," she said with a small laugh. "The three of them were away from home, away from their parents for the first time in their lives and were making the most of it. They were all drunk, underage, when we all stumbled across the tattoo parlor."

"You were drunk?" Dean smirked.

"No, but I had gone without sleep for nearly a week and was starting to hallucinate, so I wasn't much better off than the rest of them." She sighed, remembering the night. "Geoff and Lisa each got a heart with the other's name in it. Of course, they broke up a week later. George wanted us to do the same, but I convinced him to find something different. I told him that people might look at him funny if he had the name 'Kole' on his arm.

"It was the night before winter break officially started. The rest of them went home for the holidays. Your father came to visit. He was pretty upset. He told me that I better get that roommate of mine to help clean it so it doesn't get infected," she imitated John's angry voice. "He did say that he was glad I got something practical and not something girlie." She smiled to herself again as Sam finished bandaging her neck.

Dean smiled at the idea of Dad finding the tattoo. He could picture the reaction, angry but proud. Sam, on the other hand, was a little dejected. Their cousin, _step_-cousin, seemed to have more fond fatherly memoriesof his dad than he did.

"So," Kole said, snapping Sam out of his reverie, "what's the next step?"

"Next step?" Dean asked, pulling a clean T-shirt over his head.

"Well, yeah," she said, turning around in her chair. "We only have the vaguest of ideas of what's going on. Don't we need to get more answers before we know how to stop this thing?"

"We?" Dean eyed her curiously.

"Well," Sam interrupted, "there was one place in town that a lot of people told me I should check out. Seems the owner has lived here the longest and knows the most about everyone and everything that goes on. The place was closed earlier, but it should be open now," he said as he checked his watch. "Good thing, too. It's a diner, and it's lunchtime."


	16. talking with Sal

**Welcome to the Club**

_It's the nexus of the crisis  
And the origin of storms  
Just the place to hopelessly  
Encounter time and then came me_

_Astronomy, Blue Oyster Cult_

Sam got a quick shower to rid himself of the fire fighter smell he had acquired. He didn't realize how smoky his hair smelled until the odor was gone. He dressed in clean clothes, without ash or extinguisher spots on them. He took a deep, clean breath and instantly felt better.

"Kole," Dean called out when he saw Sam emerge from the bathroom, "you ready to go?"

In response, Kole walked into the room. It took Sam a moment to figure out what was different about her. Then, it hit him. She looked the way she did when they first saw her in her classroom. She was wearing one of Dean's long-sleeve T-shirts, covering most of the bandage on her neck. Her hair was brushed back in a loose ponytail and she was wearing her glasses. But, more remarkable was the fact that you could barely see any bruise or scrape on her face.

_It's amazing what girls can do with makeup_, Sam found himself thinking. A quick glance at his brother told him Dean was thinking the same thing; only Dean hastily looked away and cleared his throat.

"Let's go."

The car ride to the diner was quiet. Dean drove, Sam was passenger, and Kole rode in the back seat and scribbled in a notebook.

"What are you writing?" Dean asked impatiently, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

"I'm just… collecting my thoughts," she told him without looking up, the pen in her left hand not stopping.

"You really have that much to collect?" Dean smirked.

"What's the matter?" she asked, still writing, but a grin began to form on her lips. "You've never had a lot on your mind?"

Sam tried his best but was unable to hold back a chuckle. Dean glared at him.

When they got to the diner, Kole finally stopped writing, but brought the pen and notebook in with her. As they walked in, the final instrumental strains of 'You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You' played, then were replaced with another instrumental, 'When You're Smiling'. The place was decked out in a 1950s Las Vegas motif, matching the music.

Sam asked for a table and if the owner was around. The hostess, a tall and slender young woman with dark blonde hair and big honey-brown eyes, took them to a corner booth and told them that she would send Sal over. Once she left, Kole pulled her notebook out again and began writing.

"What _are_ you writing?" Dean asked again, attempting to take the notebook away.

"I told you," Kole said, quickly turning the pen over in her hand and jabbing Dean's hand to the table with the flat end, "I'm collecting my thoughts." Dean pulled his hand from underneath the pen and scowled at her. "I'm writing down what we know and some questions we have yet to answer about what's going on."

"We?" Dean asked with annoyance. Kole was unable to respond as Sal was nearing the table.

"Hey'a kids," his voice raspy, "Leila said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes," Dean smiled, "My name is Dean, this is Sammy, and this is…"

"Frank," Kole interrupted. Dean and Sam looked at her peculiarly, but Sal gave her a sideways look as he shook her hand. When she gave him a lopsided grin, Sal kissed her hand.

"But," he said sweetly, "you don't have blue eyes."

"Well, no one's perfect," she replied. Sal began to laugh and sat down at the space made when Kole slid to the right on her bench, leaving Dean and Sam looked at one another, completely lost.

Sal and Kole began speaking like they were old pals. Sam tried to enter the conversation once when he heard Sal mention Danny Ocean, but fell silent when he received patronizing looks after making a comment about George Clooney.

"So," Kole said after about 20 minutes, "Sam was told by some of your neighbors that you're the one who knows everything about this town."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far, Frankie," Sal said with a wink. "I've been here the longest, though. What is it you'd like to know?"

Suddenly, Dean sat up straighter in his seat, no longer irritated by the mindless chatter Sal and Kole had had. He picked up the line of questioning, asking about the recent misfortunes (i.e. deaths) in the town, any relationship between them, and anyone new to the town. He started out slow and covert, but soon realized that Sal was willing to discuss anything and began asking more pointed questions.

Once again, Sam sat in silence, letting his brother take over. He slipped in a short question or two, but mainly busied himself with the hamburger he ordered while Sal and Kole had talked about the old 'Celebrity Roasts'. He did, however, notice that Kole had gone back to her note taking. Only this time, the notebook was under the table and, as Sal was sitting to her left, she was using her right hand.

"Sal!" a voice broke through Sam's thoughts. He looked up to see a middle-aged woman half-walking, half-running to their table. As she reached them and took a deep gulp of air, Sam recognized her as one of the Moms he talked to earlier.

"Emily," Sal was concerned by the look on her face, "what's the matter?"

"Oh, it's Matthew and James," she said between gasps for air. "They're fighting!"

"Now Em," Sal said, trying to be delicate, "you know as well as I do that Matt and James rarely see eye to eye. All they do now-a-days is argue." Sam remembered Matt, too, as one of the Pops. He didn't recall anyone named James, but he could tell from his own experience that he must be Emily and Matt's son.

"No Sal, you don't understand," Emily was in tears now. "They aren't arguing, they are fighting! They're at each other's throats!" At those words, the table all seemed to finally notice that there was a splattering of blood drops on the woman's apron.

Dean slid out of his seat and Sam did the same, reaching the door first and making a left. Sal held Emily, trying to comfort her as they followed the boys. Kole walked behind them, but her attention was taken by Leila, the hostess, and stopped to speak with her, hoping to ask a couple more questions.

Sam yanked the door of 'Emily's Attic' open and he and Dean ran inside. The place was a mess, and not just in the semi-organized cluttered way it had been earlier. Many of the odds and ends were broken, smashed to pieces, or at least scattered around the floor. The back of the shop was filled with incoherent yelling, objects shattering, and punches being thrown, and the Winchesters made their way back towards the sounds.

Just as Dean was about to step through a doorway at the rear of the store, a young man flew out backwards past him. It could only be James. He looked a little younger than Sam and not quite so tall, but heavier. His hair was a mess on top of his head and there were streaks of blood on his face, arms, and chest, but it was impossible to know whether the blood was all his.

The young man had fallen into a dresser and was trying to pick himself up when Sam grabbed him from behind in a full Nelson. The kid cursed and struggled, but could not break Sam's hold.

Then, through the doorway, trudged Matt. Dean was immediately reminded of the bulldog from the old Warner Bros. cartoons, and in comparison, he was the small yappy dog next to Matt. But, Dean had faced bigger opponents than Matt and was able to lock the man's arms behind his back with little difficulty.

"Judging by the split lips and bruised cheeks on these two," Sam said around the still-struggling James, "they've smacked each other in the face more than once and it didn't seem to do the trick. What now?"

But Dean didn't have a chance to answer, as Sal and Emily walked up between the two grappling pairs. Sal stood wide-eyed and Emily let out a loud wail, then buried her face in her hands. Dean and Sam each turned slightly to look at Emily, causing Matt and James to turn as well.

The father and son stopped moving and looked at the woman, each of them blinking and shaking his head. When Dean and Sam loosened their holds, Matt and James stood silently for a moment.

"Emily?" Matt was first to speak.

"Mom? Dad?" James found his voice. "What's going on?"

Emily let out another sob and her husband and son ran to her, the three of them sharing a family embrace.

"Well," Sam said quietly, turning to Dean, "looks like our work here is done."

"Said Superman," Dean rolled his eyes. "Next time, say it with your fists on your hips." He carefully stepped over the destruction and around the weeping family. Sam followed and he, Dean, and Sal walked out the front door.

"Well, I don't know what you boys did," Sal told them after they each took a deep breath, "but I really appreciate it. Those people are like family to me." The old man looked at his feet and shook his head sadly. "Happened the same way with Adam and his son, Kevin. But they weren't so lucky. No tough guys running in to stop them from killing each other," he said with an angry sniff.

Sam put a comforting hand on Sal's shoulder, and Sal reached up to squeeze it in thanks.

"It's like I was telling you boys," Sal continued. "This whole place is full of broken families. I don't know of more than a handful that haven't lost a parent, or child, or both. I'm starting to fear for Leila." Sal shook his head again.

"Leila?" Sam asked. "Why is that, Sal?"

"She's my grand-niece," Sal smiled weakly. "She's the only _real_ family I got."

**

* * *

****Author's Note:**

As I stated at the beginning, I have posted this story before (not here) and I had a couple of questions about this chapter. Let me just say that I tried to NOT create a Mary Sue in Kole; she was not meant to be a super-woman in any way. Yes, she is very smart and understands some areas of the supernatural (as that was part of what she taught at the college), but she is no where near as trained as the Winchester boys (though John did teach her a thing or two). Instead, I tried to give her her own areas of specialties – such as putting Sal at ease where Dean or Sam may not have been able to. She took in the surroundings of the diner and was able to put Sal at ease.

**References: **(if you need/want them)

o Though they've both become standards, the instrumental music that is playing when the kids enter to diner are most famous for being sung by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra (respectively).

o The 1950s Las Vegas motif of the diner was a nod to The Rat Pack.

o Kole introduces herself as 'Frank' (as in Sinatra). Sal tests her out by saying she doesn't have blue eyes, and she returns with "nobody's perfect". Frank Sinatra, among other nicknames, was known as 'Ol Blue Eyes'.

(this is also something that struck me with the whole 'Dean' and 'Sammy' thing – I always thought of Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. and I really wanted to work it into the story)

o Before George Clooney and Julia Roberts were Danny and Tess Ocean, Frank Sinatra and Angie Dickinson were Danny and Beatrice Ocean. Compromising some of the rest of the 11 were other members of The Rat Pack.

o The 'Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts' were basically a bunch of celebrities (TV and movie stars, comics, sports legends) ganging up on the 'guest of honor' and making fun of them. Of course, it was all in fun. Dean Martin, of course, was always there and often got made fun of as well. Frank Sinatra was a 'guest of honor' once, and either Sammy Davis, Jr. was as well or he was in attendence.


	17. separated

**Welcome to the Club**

_Take me to the edge of madness  
Let me feel your secret passion _

Freud have mercy on my soul  
I can't fight this anymore

_Still Burning, Blue Oyster Cult_

The three men walked back to Sal's diner next door. The instrumental music, now playing 'Witchcraft', seemed louder than it had before. Most likely because the restaurant was now empty, everyone having left to see what the ruckus next door was about. Leila ran to embrace Sal as soon as the man walked through the door.

"What happened?" she asked, holding onto Sal tightly. "Everyone just left and went to 'Emily's Attic'. I didn't know what to do."

"Why didn't you come over and find out?" Dean asked lightly.

"Well," Leila finally loosened her grip on Sal and looked over at Dean, "I didn't think I should just leave the place unattended." She eyed Dean defensively.

"No," Sal said, "that's OK sweetie. Everything's fine now thanks to these young men." Sal smiled at Dean and Sam. Leila took her eyes from Dean and looked at Sam, smiling pleasantly.

Dean was surprised to see his brother return with a warm, if a little shy, smile of his own. He hadn't seen Sam's eyes sparkle like that since the night he came to Stanford to ask his brother for help to find Dad.

"Hey Sammy," Dean said uncomfortably. "Can you pay the bill, man? I'm going to get my jacket, then we can leave."

"Yeah," Sam murmured absently, still grinning at Leila.

"You look sleepy," Leila said, turning to Sal. "We're not busy and I think I can handle things here. Why don't you go and take a little nap, Grandpa?" She gave him a kiss on the cheek and the old man complied. She turned her attention to Sam and the two of them walked to the cash register.

Dean walked back to the booth where they had been sitting. He grabbed his jacket that had been hanging on a little hook on the edge of the seat and turned toward the front of the restaurant. He stopped mid-turn when something caught his eye. On the opposite bench sat Kole's notebook and pen. Dean felt a pang of guilt at having completely forgotten about her in the commotion.

"Hey," he called as he leaned in to grab the notebook, "where's Kole?"

"Who?" Leila asked without looking at him. She and Sam were too busy flirting to give Dean much attention.

"The girl who was with us," Dean said, getting annoyed. "Where did she go?"

"Oh," Leila said simply. "She followed you all out."

By this time, Dean was at the front of the diner. He glanced at Leila and then walked out the door, looking up and down the street. Kole wouldn't have left them again, would she? Dean felt like he was missing something right in front of him, but couldn't put his finger on it.

Inside the diner, Sam was staring into Leila's big bronze eyes. They were warm, as was her hand on his. Her skin was soft and smooth, and the perfect shade between pale and tan. Sam looked at her full pink lips and yearned to see if they were as soft as her skin.

"Sam," she purred.

"Say that again," Sam said breathlessly before he could stop himself. Her voice was music, and saying his name had sent tremors through his veins.

"Sssaaammmmm," she practically sung as she leaned across the counter between them and gently brushed his lips with her own on the last 'mmm'.

Sam closed his eyes for fear that the overload of his senses would surely cause him to explode. Yet, he managed to lean forward and his lips, then tongue, met Leila's until another familiar and completely discordant voice reached his ears.

"Sam!" Dean shouted as he walked back into the diner. Sam and Leila flinched as Dean entered and drew back from one another. "You coming?" Dean asked before Sam could say anything.

"See you tonight, Sssam," Leila smiled and sat back on her stool behind the cash register.

"Tonight?" Dean asked once they were outside and walking to the car.

"Yeah," Sam said with a sleepy smile, "I have a date."

"A date?"

Something in Sam snapped a little. His smile became a scowl and he turned to face Dean and glared at him.

"What are you, an echo?" he asked his older brother, taking another step forward and looking down at him. "Yeah, a date. I have a date tonight. Is that a problem for you?"

"What? No, I just…" Dean stammered, unprepared for his brother's outburst.

"You just what? Thought you always got the girl?" Sam demanded as he shoved Dean backward into the Impala. "Well, maybe it's time I started to catch up. It's my turn to get the girl."

"Speaking of girls," Dean said, trying to keep his anger in check, "do you know where Kole could have gone?" He stood upright again and looked at Sam. Was his brother right? No, this has nothing to do with Leila. In fact, if anything, he was happy to see Sam re-entered the land of the living. But, this was awfully quick. Something was going on.

And then something in Dean's brain clicked. Sam had somehow fallen asleep. Somehow, some time between stopping the father-son battle next door and paying the tab at the diner, Sam had actually fallen asleep. That's why he was acting unusual, right?

"I'm not her keeper," Sam's hateful voice broke through Dean's thoughts. "But, you know what they say: where there's smoke, there's fire. And, since we know how much Kole likes fire…"

Sam was unable to finish the sentence since his mouth was otherwise occupied by a sharp slap from Dean. Taken completely by surprise, Sam stood with his body half-turned away, his left hand cupping his reddening cheek.

Dean stared at him for a long moment, waiting for Sam to shake his head and ask what was happening.

"What's going on out here?" Leila's voice came from behind them, causing Dean to turn around. Sam took advantage of the distraction and belted his big brother across the face with regained strength. Dean faltered, and again Sam took the opportunity to sweep his legs out from under him. In a flash, Sam had Dean pinned to the ground.

"You wanna find Kole? Be my guest," Sam said, his eyes feral. "I'm going to get on with my own life. Now that you've got yourself a new partner, I'm free." He smiled viciously, grabbed Dean's hair, and smacked his head back against the pavement.

Though he did see light flashes in front of his eyes, the move was not meant to knock Dean unconscious. It was only meant to give Sam the chance to release his hold and leave without making himself vulnerable, which he did, leaving Dean laying next to his car in the near-empty parking lot.


	18. putting the pieces together

**Welcome to the Club**

_He cast a grim shadow  
Through the busy street…  
And he punctuated his walk with a gun_

_Morning Final, Blue Oyster Cult_

Dean picked himself up slowly, the world slightly spinning around him. He didn't need to look around; he knew Sam had already left the parking lot. He brushed the dirt from his jeans, popped his neck, then felt the back of his head. There was a tender spot, but no lump or blood. That was a good sign, he guessed.

Not wanting to leave the area, Dean wandered across the street to a small park. He sat himself down on a park bench and looked around. He had a pretty good view of the strip of shop fronts. Taking a deep breath, he pulled Kole's notebook from his pocket.

He didn't know what he was looking for, but he just couldn't think of anything else to do. What he wanted was go back to the motel and research, but his brother was spellbound and his cousin had vanished.

He flipped through the notebook pages; there were at least two-dozen pages full of scribbles. _I guess she did have a lot of thoughts to collect_, Dean thought as he shook his head. She had taken notes on nightmares and Maras, including the various names of the demons in different countries: Alptraum (German), cauchemar (French), incubo (Italian), kanashibari (Japanese), mareridt (Danish), pesadilla (Spanish).

There were notes about Scandinavian folklore, about a Mare or Mara being a wicked female wraith and how she ability to move through keyholes and under doors. There was a small bit about the belief that a sleeping woman's free-roaming spirit could become a Mara.

Kole had also written about The Old Hag. Apparently, there were varying versions of her story. Sometimes she appeared; sometimes the victim could only hear her voice. Sometimes she simply tried to steal her prey's breath; sometimes she was intent on the person's soul. She was believed to be a demon, succubus/incubus, ghost, witch, phantom, etc. depending on the person relating the story.

_When did she have time to research all of this?_

Dean's already aching head pounded harder against his skull. He turned page after page of folklore and myths, until he found one with the heading: Dreams. First, was his story – or, at least, as much as he had told her earlier. There were a lot of words: dark shape, trying to take Sam, mother's death, protecting Sam – all with question marks and then large gaps. Evidently, Kole was planning to come back to this page with more answers. At the bottom of the page was written, _Catatonic state? Why only Dean?_

The next page was dedicated to Sam. Kole seemed to have a real grasp of what was going on in his head. _Wow, they really do think alike_. Dean wasn't sure that he liked the idea that someone who had only met Sam yesterday could already know him as well as his own brother. Actually, Dean wasn't sure how well that was anymore.

There was a quick summation of their experience with Dr. Ellicott, and how Sam had dreamt of it all over again before lashing out at Kole. As Dean read, he felt as if he were inside his brother's head. Part of him was reassured at seeing how his brother felt. Sure, there was the typical brotherly frustration, but Sam really did care and wanted to protect Dean.

Dean smiled to himself but was quickly reminded that his jaw still hurt from the punch that Sam had so recently delivered. The smile faded and Dean realized that, although he now had more information, he also had more questions. He slumped down on the bench, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.

"Umm, excuse me," a voice said after a couple of minutes. Dean opened his eyes again and saw the coffee shop kid standing in front of him.

"Hi again,"the kidsmiled. "I… uh… I just wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"Well, for what you and your friend did today. I was rude this morning… I thought that you guys might've hurt that girl. But, then you stepped in and… well, James is a good friend of mine… and…" the kid fidgeted.

"I get it," Dean said, letting the kid off the hook. "It was no big thing… um…"

"Tony," the kid smiled shyly. "And it was to me. Like I said, James is a good friend of mine." He turned to walk away, then stopped and turned back to face Dean.

"By the way, you might want to tell your friend that she should lay off the coffee a little."

"What?"

"The girl that was in the shop earlier? She came in again a little while ago and looks kind of out of it. It's like she's dazed or something. I think she really needs to get some sleep."

"Kole?" Dean asked, sitting up straighter on the bench. "When was she there?"

"I just got off my shift and she was still there when I left."

"Thanks, kid," Dean said, standing and rushing over to the coffee shop.

"No problem," Tony told him as he walked off in the opposite direction.

The shop was full of locals talking about the incident at 'Emily's Attic'. When Dean walked in, more than one person looked at him and then leaned over to friends. He could hear the whispers, nothing readily understood, but he knew that they were trying to decide if he was one of the strangers who had boldly stepped between the fighting father and son.

He stood at the front of the shop for a moment, feeling awkward with so many eyes on him. He glanced nervously around the shop and found Kole sitting in the same rear corner booth that they had been in earlier. As he walked back, he felt the eyes move with him.

"Kole?" he said quietly, standing at the side of the table. She sat motionless, looking over the table with her eyes, as if reading a story on it.

Dean didn't have to look around him to know that they were still being watched. If Kole was asleep, how was he supposed to wake her up without disrupting the shop patrons, and most likely get himself thrown in jail for assault?

"Dean, sit down," Kole said softly, as if reading his mind. "I'm not asleep. I'm… confused." She took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. "I have absolutely no recollection of walking here or ordering this," she nodded to the almost empty coffee mug. Finally, she looked at Dean, now sitting across from her. "What's going on?"

"I was hoping you had the answers," Dean mumbled, causing the hopeful look on Kole's face to fall away. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"We were all at the diner," she said, closing her eyes. "A woman ran in… blah blah blah. We all got up from the table to help." She was shaking her head and shrugging.

"OK, we all got up from the table, but you didn't follow us to the shop next door. Sam and I went in and broke up a fight. Sal was there with the woman, Emily, but you never came in. When Sal, and Sam, and I came back to the diner, you were already gone. Leila told us you followed us…"

"Leila?" Kole interrupted. "I stopped to talk to Leila." She pressed her fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes again, trying to remember, but it was like a dream. The harder she tried to remember, the further away the memory moved.

The waitress came over with a coffee pot and looked at Dean. He turned his mug over with a smile so that she could fill it, then motioned for Kole's to be refilled as well. He didn't want to interrupt his cousin's thoughts. Finally, Kole shook her head and Dean realized that he would have to try and prompt her.

"Do you remember what you and Leila talked about?"

"I don't think we did," Kole said, opening her eyes. She absent-mindedly reached for her coffee and took a large swallow before Dean had a chance to warn her. She immediately choked on the scalding liquid.

Dean reached over the back of his bench to the booth next to them.

"Mind if I take this?" he asked the woman behind him, not waiting for an answer before grabbing her glass of ice water and handing it to Kole.

Kole gulped half of the water down, choked, and then drank the rest slower. She put the glass down and took a couple of deep breaths. Then, as if the outburst had never happened, she finished her thought.

"We _didn't_ talk," she told Dean, her voice raspy from all the coughing. Her eyes were wide and she had a look that told him the pieces were starting to fall into place. She was about to speak again, but noticed that most of the other patrons were looking at them. "Check please."


	19. to be or not to be a Winchester

**Welcome to the Club**

_From the dust I rose on high  
Thunder cloud in a two-lane sky  
From the world I did rebel  
A fallen angel_

_Fallen Angel, Blue Oyster Cult_

"OK," Dean said, following Kole after she paid the coffee tab, "so you and Leila _didn't_ talk? Well, that explains why she thought you walked out after us."

Kole stopped in her tracks and turned to face Dean, who walked right into her, surprised by the sudden stop.

"No, that's not what I meant," Kole told him. "I mean, I stopped to talk to her, but didn't. I… I don't know what happened. I remember stopping, then I remember you walking up to me at the coffee shop. There's a… a gap."

"So," Dean said slowly, "you think this all has something to do with the diner?"

"Hello, McFly?" She reached up and knocked on his forehead, completely exasperated. "No, I don't think this has to do with the diner. It's Leila!"

Dean let the information sink in. He had come to that conclusion as well; only there was a part of his brain that was refusing to believe it. It wasn't that he had any evidence to the contrary, but he found that he had to force himself to accept that Leila was involved with, or was in fact, the Mara.

"Dean?" Kole's voice broke into his thoughts. "Where's Sam?"

Well, that did it. The knowledge that Sam was either with Leila or was planning on meeting up with her soon awoke him from his state of denial. Whatever Leila could have done or said that blinded him from the truth was now switched off with the recognition that his brother was in trouble. He turned to Kole.

"I don't know where Sam is." Dean's fists clenched without him even realizing. He began to walk quickly towards Sal's diner. "But _she's_ got him."

"Leila?" she asked quietly, knowing the answer before Dean even nodded. Kole looked around and found a large clock in one of the shop windows. "Dean, it's nearly 4:30. And, it's winter, which means it's going to start getting dark pretty soon. This place doesn't exactly strike me as having a lively nightlife. I'm guessing people here go to bed early."

Dean was too worried about Sam to understand where this was leading. When he remained silent, Kole sighed, but more from concern than frustration. She had to run a little to catch up with him.

"Look, this demon works through dreams, right? And, if she can set people off… make them go after one another while they're asleep? Dean, if she realizes that we are trying to stop her… she could have an army of townspeople in as little as four hours."

"What's your point, Kole?" Dean demanded.

"My point is," she said, ignoring his anger, "whatever we do, we have to do it fast. Do you know how to stop her?" Noticing they were back at the diner, Kole stopped. "Wait Dean, we don't have a plan. We can't go in there now."

"I wasn't planning on it," he told her, walking around to the back of the building where the parking lot stood empty, but for one car. "We gotta get ourselves prepared."

"We?" she asked with a smirk on her lips.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, rolling his eyes. "Welcome to the club, Batgirl."

"I prefer 'Barbara Gordon' in public," she told him, then slid into the passenger seat of the Impala.

Dean shook his head and gave her a crooked grin, then took the car out of the parking lot and drove to their motel.

Dean and Kole sat at opposite sides of the table in her room, each with a laptop in front of them. They weren't getting anywhere fast. Dean had looked through his father's journal three times and couldn't find any references to a being that attacked and controlled through dreams. He was now checking through his frequently visited websites, but the only thing he was gaining was a headache.

"Can you tell me something?" Kole asked, as she sat back in her chair and removed her glasses to rub her eyes.

"What?" he asked without looking up.

"This morning, when you were… catatonic, do your remember anything?"

"Like what?" He didn't particularly like this line of questioning.

"I mean, what was going through your head? You know, like, before or during your… blackout."

"You know," he said, annoyed, and pulled her notebook from his jacket, "that's not the blank that I thought you would try and fill in first."

"You're stalling," she said steadily. "And I don't care that you read my notes, so don't try and get out of this conversation by bringing them up."

"Fine!" he said, standing from the table and knocking his chair backward. "I felt like I was in a haze… like I was sleepwalking. I was awake, but not. I sat down to try and clear my head and wake up, but I couldn't. It was like everything slowed down, then just stopped. It was like a movie and someone else had the remote control."

He felt foolish having to say it out loud, but if that was what it took to get her off his back and continue the search then so be it. He wasn't going to waste time arguing when Sam needed his help.

He looked at Kole. Her eyes were on him, but she wasn't seeing. She was deep in thought, trying to work something out in her head. Then, without a word, she got up from her chair and grabbed the case of DVD-Rs from her bag. She flipped through, found the one she was looking for, and popped it into her computer's disc drive.

"Have _you_ found anything?" Dean asked as he sat back down, bewildered by the behavior. "Sam's the one who's good with the research…"

"Did you know that 'Leila' means 'born at night'?" Kole said, looking at her computer screen. "And according to this, one of the lilin was named 'Leila'."

"One of the what?"

"The lilin. They were the daughters of Lilith, the night demon. They were said to be demons with powers similar to the succubi."

"OK," Dean said, a smile forming, "now you're speaking my language." He got up from the table and started for the door, while still talking. "So, we just have to find her and…" the rest was drown out. Kole got up and followed him to the car.

"I'm sorry, I must have left my de-coder ring back at my place. What is it that you have figured out?"

Dean opened his trunk and started digging through his arsenal. Kole watched him, speechless at the trunk's contents. He pulled out a couple bottles of water, handing one to Kole. Then, he reached in for a couple of handguns.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kole raised her hands in surrender.

"What?"

"Well, I…," she stuttered, "I… I've never used a gun before. I didn't know you could… get rid of demons with a gun."

"Get rid of?" Dean might have laughed if he wasn't feeling rushed. "Let's get it straight. We _kill_ demons. Kill. And, no, a gun won't kill her. But, the silver bullets will slow her down. So will holy water," he said indicating the bottle he was still holding.

"So, what does kill a demon?"

"Different methods for different demons. But for this one... I'm going with beheading." He watched as Kole continued to stare into the trunk. "You OK?"

"Sure," she breathed.

"Look," he said impatiently, "I need to know that you can handle this. I'm not going to be able to fight her, get Sammy back, _and_ worry that you might get hurt. It's too much. So, you either take a weapon," he waved over some various items, "so you can defend yourself or you leave the area so I don't have to worry about you."

"What about this?" she asked, pointing to a crossbow. "Will this hurt her?"

"Yeah…" he said slowly. "The arrows are silver."

"OK," she said, reaching into the trunk.

"Wait a minute," Dean said, grabbing her arm. "You've never fired a gun, but you know how to use a crossbow?"

"I took archery and fencing lessons when I was younger," she smiled. "My father was in the service, too, you know," she said when he raised his eyebrows. "Then, your dad showed me how to… perfect my skills."

"But not how to use a gun!" he asked, aggravated. "What kind of Winchester doesn't know how to shoot a gun?"

"I'm not a Winchester!"


	20. a Waltworthy end

**Welcome to the Club**

_Don't turn your back  
On intuition  
Don't turn your back  
On superstition_

_Don't Turn Your Back, Blue Oyster Cult_

Without another word, Kole walked to the passenger side of the Impala and let herself in. Dean wasn't exactly sure what she was talking about, but decided to think on it later – when there wasn't a demon to kill and his brother to save. He pocketed both of the guns he was already holding and found a few different blades that could execute the beheading, then got into the car.

He looked over at Kole. She had just finished braiding her hair and was now tucking the end back up into the braid. Dean was actually highly impressed that she had the forethought to keep her long hair out of reach. Maybe she would be OK after all.

Dean started up the car and, leaving the motel parking lot, realized he had no idea where he should go. He had just assumed that Sal's diner would be a good place, but if Leila and Sam had a date, would they really stay at the diner?

"Um," he started, "I don't suppose you know where Leila would be right now."

Kole just looked at him, confused.

"It's just… I'm not quite sure where this showdown is likely to take place." Man, he sounded stupid. "I mean, I don't know where she'd go because I don't really know what she's after."

"If I had to guess," Kole said, giving him a sideways glance and an arched eyebrow, "I'd say you."

"Huh?"

"Oh come on," she said. "It's a basic principle of all folklore, myth, and urban legend. Hell, go to any horror movie and what's the main thing the villain is after? The one that got away. The unattainable. And, that's you. You are the only one who we know has fought her influence."

"But you… and Sam…" he stammered.

"Sam and I both had help. You woke us both up. You and Sam woke the kid and his dad up. Now, she has Sam. But, I think, what would really make her happy is taking you down."

"That really doesn't help me here, Miss Navigator."

"I don't think it matters where you go. Where you go, she will follow." Kole sighed. "I guess if I were you, I'd go someplace where there aren't a lot of people. Somewhere where she can't call out the troupes quite so quickly."

"Like an open field or something… somewhere where there aren't a lot of houses?"

"Yeah, that'd work. And an open space means she can't sneak up on us. Of course, we won't be able to sneak up on her either."

"No. No sneaking, but we will have an element of surprise," Dean smiled. Kole gave him a questioning look. "You."

"Me?"

"Trust me when I say that I know a lot about demons. I know how they think and react. But, Leila has Sam. Sam and I know how we fight. We know each other's weaknesses. The one wild card here is you," he said with a trademark cocky grin. "That gives us the advantage. She'll have strength but we'll have surprise."

"So, I'll be, like, a diversion?" He gave a little shrug. "Fine, OK, I'll be your wild card – as long as you play Queen of Hearts."

"_Queen_ of Hearts?"

"You know," Kole gave him a crooked grin, "off with her head." Dean gave a small groan which made Kole laugh a little.

"That was pretty bad," he told her.

It was just after 7:30 when Dean and Kole rode through the small town. All of the shops were already closed for the evening. Even the restaurants seemed empty and dark. They passed the coffee shop, Emily's Attic, Sal's diner - no signs of life anywhere.

"Am I the only one that's a little creeped out here?" Kole asked as she scanned her surroundings.

"I wouldn't say I'm creeped out," Dean replied, "but I'm getting close."

Past the row of shops was a small high school, and beyond that was a run-down football field. Feeling it was as good a place as any, Dean pulled into the school's parking lot. He took the spot closest to the opening in the surrounding fence and, with his lights facing the dimly lit field, parked the car.

"Dean," Kole's voice was hushed and hesitant. Dean glanced at her, then followed her gaze to the center of the field. At that distance, Dean couldn't tell whether he had his eyes open or not, but there was no doubt that the person lying in the middle of the field was Sam.

Dean took a deep breath and studied the rest of the field. He didn't see any other movement, but with the shadows spreading fast, he knew that they would be more blind than they had wanted. He checked his silver bullet supply, his holy water, and finally his blades – a hatchet, a battle-ax, a Bowie knife, and a butterfly knife.

"Here," he said, handing a second butterfly knife to Kole and demonstrating how to open it.

"Wait," she said nervously, "I thought you were in charge of the beheading part…"

"Yeah, if all goes as planned. This," he said, collapsing the knife and placing it in her hand, "is plan B." She took it reluctantly and then started to reach for the door handle.

"Wait," Dean said and glanced towards Sam again. His brother had not moved an inch. "What if I can't wake him up? I mean, I slapped him earlier and it had no effect."

"Well, if Disney is to be trusted," she gave him an uneasy smile, "a kiss just might do it." He looked at her, slightly horrified, for a moment and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Very funny," he growled. "Look, you hang back and keep an eye out for Leila. This is all too simple… and painless to be for real."

"Then, why go out there at all?"

"Because that's my brother. And, it's what I do."

Dean got out of the car and quickly walked through the fence and toward Sam. Kole got out of the car, walked through the fence, and then made her way over to the nearer goalpost in hopes of getting a good view of the field. She raised the crossbow and kept her eyes on Dean. If she was his back up, she was going to make sure no one and nothing snuck up on him.

When he was close enough to see the rise and fall of his brother's chest, Dean slowed down to a normal paced walk. When he was close enough to see that Sam's eyes were closed, he slowed down even more. And, when he was close enough to whisper his name, Dean stopped.

"Sam," he said quietly, getting no response. "Hey, Sammy?" Again, nothing. "Sammy, come on man. I need you to wake up for me."

"Dean, Dean, Dean," Sam said lazily, without opening his eyes. "Poor, predictable Dean. You know," slowly opening his eyes and turning to face his brother, "there was never a doubt in my mind that you would come and find me."

From her position at the goal post, Kole watched the conversation deafly. In her peripheral vision, she saw movement at her right, behind the bleachers. She turned and searched for the origin, but it took her a moment to catch sight of it once more. The bleachers were full of shadows and the source of the movement was dark.

But then, from behind the bleachers strode Leila, or what a bizarre film negative of Leila might look like, and Kole gasped to herself. She now resembled a human in shape alone. The once blonde hair was now an inky black, as were the whole of her eyes. Her skin was a dark shade of sapphire blue and she was dressed in a near-catwoman-like black outfit.

This girl – _no, demon_, Kole told herself – made her way over to where Dean and Sam were conversing. Kole thought that Dean would have to see her, but his eyes were fixed on his brother and the gun in his hand was now down at his side unprepared for her inevitable attack.

Dean stared down at his brother, bewildered. And, Sam looked up at his brother and sneered.

"I knew you would come," Sam was saying. "Even right in the middle of an obvious trap…"

But, whatever he had planned on saying next was cut off by an inhuman scream from Leila. Both Winchesters turned in surprise to see the demon clutching at an arrow in her chest.

Sam only wasted a second before leaping to his feet and charging his brother. While knocking Dean to the ground, Sam grabbed his wrist and was able to release his brother's hold on his gun. The action stunned Dean, but he quickly regained his composure and the brothers were soon trading kicks and punches with fervor.

While they fought, Leila ripped the arrow out of her flesh and turned to face Kole. She took a step forward and Kole, walking forward as well, shot again. Leila tried to dodge the oncoming attack, but was only quick enough to alter Kole's target. She shrieked again as the arrow hit her in the left shoulder.

As Leila wailed with the effort of removing the second arrow, Sam took a swing at Dean, punching his brother in the chest. Smiling, Sam watched Dean stagger back a step and clutch his chest where Sam had only recently shot him full of rock salt. Sam then punched Dean across the jaw, causing him to crumble to the ground.

Satisfied, Sam turned to face Kole. She stopped in mid-stride as he began to sprint in her direction.

"Sam?" Kole yelled in panic, her hands shaking on the crossbow. What was she supposed to do? She couldn't shoot him, and there was no way that she could defend herself for long against him.

Dean got up slowly. He walked silently behind Leila, who was still struggling with the pain in her shoulder.

"Hey, Sammy," he roared, then did the only thing he could think of. Taking Kole's words about Walt to heart, Dean grabbed Leila around the waist, pulled her to him, and kissed her.

Sam stopped in his tracks and was about to run back and angrily beat his brother to a bloody pulp, but instead fell to his knees and gasped. His head was thrown back and he cried out in pain. And when the pain subsided, Sam wheezed several times and then rose unsteadily to his feet.

"Sam?" Kole, suddenly by his side, slid under his arm and held him around the waist, keeping him from falling over. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he breathed, then panicked and looked up. "Dean!"

Dean, having witnessed his brother's awakening, tried to pull away from the kiss. However Leila, having released her hold on Sam to concentrate on Dean,held him steady. He tried to pry her hands away from the back of his head, but he felt his strength ebbing. His arms became too heavy to hold up any longer and his vision blurred to black. He felt the pain as every last bit of air was taken from him.

When Leila finally released him, Dean collapsed in a heap at her feet. Even from their distance, Sam and Kole could see that Dean was not breathing.

"How do we kill it?" Sam whispered wrathfully, barely moving his lips.

"Off with her head," Kole whispered back and let go of him. Under the cover of his jacket, she passed the butterfly knife to him. "I'll play decoy."

They parted a step as Leila turned around to face them.

"Ahh, now that was refreshing," she smiled sinisterly and licked her sable lips. "Not my style, really – no, I'm more of a dinner and a show kind of girl. Why do the dirty work when I can sit back and simply enjoy myself? But I wasn't about to take any more chances on that," she sneered down at Dean.

The quick glance was all that they needed. Kole raised the crossbow and shot, the arrow hitting Leila in the right thigh. Sam ran in an arc to Leila's right side, opening the knife as he went. Leila turned to him to defend herself, but Kole was ready with another arrow. This time she hit the demon on the right side of the abdomen, then quickly fired another shot to the right shoulder.

Sam took one last stride and swung the long blade at the demon's neck, her body immediately becoming ash. Kole watched wide-eyed as Leila's head fell at her feet, its dead eyes staring up at her momentarily before imploding into a swirling vapor.

"Dean!" Sam dropped to his knees in front of his fallen brother. "Dean, you can't do this. Wake up. Breath!" He was panicking again and his eyes began to sting.

"Sam," Kole said softly, "look." Sam looked up and saw the vapor swimming towards him. He fell backwards in shock, sitting on the ground and clearing a path. The foggy stream floated to Dean's mouth and was sucked in.

Dean abruptly gasped and his eyes flew open.

"Dean?" Sam almost laughed with relief. "Dean, you've got to calm down. Come on, breath. Slowly," Sam said to his hyperventilating brother.

Dean looked up at Sam hovering over him and calmed a little. But then, choked out something – obviously _Leila_ – as his still-numb fingers fumbled for the battle-ax in his belt loop.

"Dean, it's OK," Sam said, holding onto Dean's shaky arm before he hurt himself on the weapon. "She's gone. We got her." Dean seemed to settle a bit.

"Hey, Sirius," Kole said, dropping down beside him, "welcome back."

Dean smiled, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he tried to say something, but the words remained caught in his throat.

"Easy…" Sam said with his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Do you think you can stand up? Or walk?"

Dean, realizing that trying to use his voice was pointless for the time being, just nodded and allowed himself to be helped up by his brother and cousin. The three of them slowly walked, a bit lopsided with the unevenness of the human crutches, back to the Impala.

"I just have one question," Sam said, helping his brother into the passenger seat of the car. "What made you think to kiss her?"

Dean just smiled. What else could he do until his throat healed and his voice came back? He looked at Kole, as she opened the back door and climbed into the car.

"I guess there really is an underlying truth behind urban legends and folklore," she grinned, then added quietly, "and Disney movies."

* * *

_Well, there it is. This was my firstfanfic ever. My next story also includes Kole, so I figured that it would be best to post this one first so as not to confuse anyone. The next one 'Melanic Manor' is my half-finished WIP... the one that I was struck with writer's block during. But, since you have all been so kind and commented on this story, I think I now have the inspiration to keep going. Thanks for all of your kind words! I hope my next story can live up to expectations._


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